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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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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: race · firm · staff · suit · chest · cue

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cue — a hint
  4. firm — steady
  5. staff — employees
  6. race — humankind
  7. chest — of your body
  8. suit — to fit
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. race — a contest
  15. staff — employees
  16. firm — a company
  17. race — the arms race
  18. suit — clothes

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