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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: coach · firm · cabinet · arm · ground · bank · object · staff

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. object — to protest
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bank — of a river
  6. object — a thing
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bank — for money
  9. ground — a position
  10. staff — employees
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. firm — a company
  13. staff — employees
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bank — for money
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. staff — a stick
  19. firm — decided
  20. object — an aim
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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