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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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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: mug · bear · mine · toast · cell · firm · pit · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. toast — bread
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cell — in biology
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. firm — steady
  17. pit — in a race
  18. firm — a company
  19. mug — to rob
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. firm — decided
  24. mine — an explosive

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