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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: last · racket · ruler · fork · firm · sharp · straw · rest

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. firm — a company
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. firm — steady
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. last — to go on
  10. sharp — clever
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. firm — decided
  16. fork — in a road
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. last — final
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. last — finally
  24. rest — what's left

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