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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: mouse · field · pass · cabinet · bear · firm · swing · last

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. firm — decided
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. last — final
  10. firm — a company
  11. last — to go on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. field — farmland
  14. last — finally
  15. firm — steady
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. field — a subject
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. swing — to play on
  21. field — for sport
  22. swing — music
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bear — 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