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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: fork · swing · racket · lean · cabinet · can · mine · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. can — a tin
  6. swing — to play on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. swing — in golf
  12. last — finally
  13. can — to be able to
  14. swing — music
  15. last — to go on
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. can — a tin
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cabinet — ministers

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