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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: firm · spell · saw · mug · coach · tube · toast · pound

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. spell — letters
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spell — a short time
  7. toast — bread
  8. firm — a company
  9. pound — a weight
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. firm — decided
  12. spell — magic
  13. mug — a face
  14. firm — steady
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mug — to rob
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. tube — the underground
  24. coach — a trainer

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