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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. firm — steady
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. object — to protest
  5. mug — a face
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mug — a cup
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. last — finally
  11. last — final
  12. cell — in biology
  13. firm — decided
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. last — to go on
  22. pound — a weight
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — a company

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