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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
468
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 · arm · coach · cell · bear · roll · mug · field

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cell — a phone
  5. roll — a list
  6. field — farmland
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bear — the animal
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. content — happy
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bear — the animal
  23. content — the amount
  24. roll — a cake

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