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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: swing · pit · rash · pitcher · bound · patient · squash · race

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rash — a series
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. squash — to crush
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bound — certain
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bound — obliged
  17. race — humankind
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pit — in a race
  21. swing — music
  22. pit — a hole
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. squash — the vegetable

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