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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 120 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: pitcher · saw · pound · club · wave · ground · swing · rash

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rash — a series
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. swing — to play on
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rash — hasty
  18. club — a group
  19. saw — the tool
  20. swing — music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. ground — a position
  24. wave — with your hand

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