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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: field · root · roll · rest · firm · drill · cell · mug

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. field — a subject
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. firm — a company
  9. mug — a face
  10. root — of a word
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cell — a phone
  14. roll — a cake
  15. firm — steady
  16. drill — the tool
  17. roll — a list
  18. firm — decided
  19. rest — what's left
  20. field — farmland
  21. cell — in biology
  22. field — for sport
  23. mug — a cup
  24. roll — on a roll

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