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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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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: band · ruler · jam · race · rash · swing · pitch · foot

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. band — a ring
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. swing — music
  7. pitch — completely
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. band — a music group
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. race — a contest
  17. rash — a series
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. swing — in golf
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. jam — a tight spot

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