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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 116 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: sharp · swing · fan · pitcher · squash · firm · rush · track

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. squash — to crush
  18. firm — a company
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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