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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: toast · pitch · mug · field · pound · cabinet · mate · mine

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pound — a weight
  5. toast — bread
  6. field — for sport
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. field — farmland
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. field — a subject
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mug — a face
  24. pound — to hit hard

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