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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
468
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 · cue · pitcher · ball · key · pit · mug · rash

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. key — in music
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. swing — music
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rash — a series
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mug — a face
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pit — a hole
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pit — in a race
  24. swing — in golf

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