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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: rush · rule · foot · pitcher · arm · field · swing · present

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. field — a subject
  8. rush — hurry
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rule — government
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. field — for sport
  15. rule — a law
  16. present — the time now
  17. field — farmland
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. present — a gift
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. present — there
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. arm — a part of something

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