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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.

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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: bound · squash · rash · drill · plane · chip · swing · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rash — a series
  3. bound — tied together
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bound — obliged
  6. drill — a practice
  7. swing — music
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bound — certain
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. drill — the tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. squash — to crush
  17. chip — to eat
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. drill — army training
  21. squash — the sport
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rash — hasty

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