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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: fan · pit · firm · mouse · nail · last · racket · deal

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. firm — decided
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. firm — steady
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pit — in a race
  11. firm — a company
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. deal — to handle
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mouse — for a computer

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