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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: fine · racket · shower · dip · firm · trunk · swing · last

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. firm — a company
  8. last — to go on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. last — finally
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. shower — to wash
  16. dip — to sink
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. shower — rain
  19. swing — to play on
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. swing — music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. last — final
  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