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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · pop · mug · saw · bass · firm · fall · mine

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. firm — decided
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mug — a face
  5. firm — steady
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. field — for sport
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. field — farmland
  14. mug — a cup
  15. pop — music
  16. bass — low music
  17. field — a subject
  18. bass — the fish
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mine — for digging
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pop — soda
  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