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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.

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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: field · firm · hand · saw · rock · chair · pass · deal

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pass — a permit
  4. firm — decided
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. field — for sport
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. deal — to handle
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. firm — a company
  12. saw — the tool
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. field — a subject
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. hand — help
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. saw — the tool
  21. firm — steady
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pass — to spend time

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