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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 116 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: last · straw · pit · present · firm · swing · shower · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. present — the time now
  4. pit — a hole
  5. firm — decided
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. last — finally
  10. swing — music
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. present — there
  14. firm — steady
  15. swing — to play on
  16. last — final
  17. firm — a company
  18. present — a gift
  19. pit — in a race
  20. swing — in golf
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. last — to go on
  24. straw — a straw man

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