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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: last · mouse · bat · fork · chest · drill · swing · bulb

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. swing — music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. last — finally
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chest — of your body
  9. last — final
  10. drill — army training
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bat — the animal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. swing — to play on
  16. last — to go on
  17. chest — a box
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fork — in a road

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