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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: cell · present · firm · roll · saw · chair · fan · track

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. cell — a phone
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. firm — decided
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. present — there
  9. roll — a list
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. track — to keep track
  13. chair — a leader
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. track — a path
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. saw — the tool
  20. present — a gift
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. present — the time now
  23. track — a song
  24. saw — the tool

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