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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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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: deal · rest · date · last · swing · firm · mug · pit

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pit — in a race
  5. firm — steady
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mug — to rob
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rest — a break
  13. date — the fruit
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — a face
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pit — a hole
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. last — finally

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