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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: chest · rush · saw · firm · toast · field · mark · pop

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chest — a box
  3. rush — hurry
  4. firm — a company
  5. pop — to visit
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pop — soda
  9. mark — a grade
  10. saw — the tool
  11. toast — bread
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. field — for sport
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pop — music
  19. firm — steady
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. firm — decided
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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