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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: fork · saw · bat · rock · swing · can · rest · firm

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. can — a tin
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — the animal
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rock — a stone
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. swing — in golf
  12. firm — decided
  13. swing — to play on
  14. firm — a company
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. swing — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fork — in a road
  24. firm — steady

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