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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: swing · rest · rash · pitch · bore · bat · saw · straw

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rest — a break
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. swing — music
  8. rash — a series
  9. pitch — completely
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bore — to tire
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rash — hasty
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. swing — to play on
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bore — to drill

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