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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: scale · swing · file · pitcher · rush · squash · sharp · chest

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. swing — in golf
  2. chest — a box
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. squash — to crush
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. swing — music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. swing — to play on
  13. scale — size or range
  14. squash — the sport
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. file — a tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. sharp — clever
  22. chest — of your body
  23. file — a document
  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