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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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Word bank
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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: bound · row · swing · pitch · fall · rock · rush · rash

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. swing — music
  3. rash — hasty
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rash — a series
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rock — music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. row — a line
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fall — the season
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bound — obliged
  18. row — to paddle
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bound — certain
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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