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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: file · racket · swing · foot · fan · fork · jam · firm

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. firm — steady
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. file — a document
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. file — a tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  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