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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: club · saw · field · sharp · cell · toast · firm · mug

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. cell — in biology
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. toast — bread
  5. club — a group
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. firm — decided
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cell — a phone
  10. field — a subject
  11. mug — a face
  12. firm — steady
  13. sharp — clever
  14. club — for dancing
  15. field — farmland
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. club — for golf
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. field — for sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. cell — in a prison
  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