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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: drill · firm · row · mug · mouse · field · cabinet · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. row — to paddle
  3. field — for sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. firm — decided
  6. drill — the tool
  7. row — a line
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. field — farmland
  13. firm — a company
  14. present — there
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. field — a subject
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. present — the time now
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. firm — steady
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mouse — the animal

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