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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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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: swing · racket · hide · stick · band · firm · nail · cap

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cap — a hat
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. firm — steady
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. swing — in golf
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. band — a music group
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. firm — a company
  21. swing — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. band — a ring
  24. racket — for tennis

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