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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: pit · straw · mouse · land · swing · plane · mark · racket

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mark — a trace
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. land — a country
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mark — a grade
  15. swing — music
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. land — to come down
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pit — a hole
  23. land — ground
  24. swing — to play on

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