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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · spring · swing · pitch · kick · rule · club · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. club — a group
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rest — a break
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rule — a law
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. spring — of water
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. spring — the season
  14. club — for golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rash — a series
  18. rule — government
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pitch — completely
  21. kick — in football
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. swing — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com