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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: lie · last · firm · roll · swing · fan · fork · pitch

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. swing — music
  4. firm — a company
  5. roll — a list
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. roll — a cake
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. last — final
  15. firm — steady
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. last — finally
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. last — to go on
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fork — in a road
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. swing — to play on

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