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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 · field · suit · pound · chair · shower · drill · toast

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. firm — decided
  3. shower — to wash
  4. firm — steady
  5. field — farmland
  6. drill — a practice
  7. toast — bread
  8. drill — the tool
  9. suit — to fit
  10. field — for sport
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. field — a subject
  13. chair — a leader
  14. shower — rain
  15. suit — in cards
  16. drill — army training
  17. pound — a weight
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. suit — clothes
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. firm — a company

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