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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: staff · fan · firm · sharp · foot · field · cabinet · present

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. present — there
  3. field — farmland
  4. sharp — clever
  5. staff — employees
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. staff — a stick
  9. foot — a measure
  10. firm — decided
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. staff — employees
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. present — a gift
  21. firm — a company
  22. present — the time now
  23. firm — steady
  24. fan — a supporter

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