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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 120 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: content · firm · mouse · swing · shower · saw · racket · pass

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. swing — in golf
  4. firm — decided
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. saw — the tool
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. shower — to wash
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. shower — rain
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. firm — a company
  19. content — happy
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. firm — steady
  22. swing — music
  23. pass — a permit
  24. content — the amount

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