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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: cue · racket · kick · mark · swing · rush · date · rash

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cue — a hint
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cue — for pool
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. swing — music
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. kick — in football
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. date — the fruit
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rash — a series

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