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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: mine · rock · toast · firm · charge · pound · chest · roll

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. charge — a price
  7. mine — for digging
  8. roll — a cake
  9. toast — bread
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. firm — steady
  13. charge — electricity
  14. firm — a company
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. chest — a box
  19. roll — a list
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rock — music
  23. charge — in control
  24. chest — of your body

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