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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: deal · swing · last · ruler · racket · pit · chest · cap

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. last — final
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pit — in a race
  6. last — finally
  7. cap — of ice
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chest — a box
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cap — a lid
  15. swing — in golf
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cap — a hat
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. last — to go on
  21. chest — of your body
  22. swing — music
  23. pit — a hole
  24. deal — to handle

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