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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: squash · coach · chip · chair · foot · firm

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chair — a leader
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. squash — the sport
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. chip — to eat
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. firm — a company
  10. squash — to crush
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. foot — a measure
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship

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