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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: club · pit · current · swing · kick · pitcher · rest · press

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. current — electric
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. current — happening now
  6. club — for dancing
  7. current — of water
  8. swing — in golf
  9. club — a group
  10. kick — in football
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pit — a hole
  17. swing — music
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. press — to push
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. club — for golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pitcher — a jug

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