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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: content · prune · pitcher · field · firm · mate · cabinet · mug

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. content — happy
  6. field — for sport
  7. mate — a friend
  8. firm — a company
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mug — a face
  14. content — the amount
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mate — to breed
  22. prune — to trim
  23. firm — steady
  24. mug — to rob

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