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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: scale · rash · swing · pitch · bat · roll · rush · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. race — a contest
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pitch — completely
  10. race — humankind
  11. scale — size or range
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. swing — music
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. roll — a list
  20. rash — a series
  21. swing — to play on
  22. scale — in music
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bat — in an idiom

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