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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: racket · firm · bat · cue · fall · can · swing · wake

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. swing — music
  5. can — a tin
  6. fall — to drop
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. firm — a company
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wake — a trail
  19. can — a tin
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cue — a hint
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. can — to be able to

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