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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: firm · present · chair · bass · arm · hand · coach · staff

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bass — the fish
  3. staff — a stick
  4. hand — in cards
  5. present — there
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. present — the time now
  11. staff — employees
  12. hand — help
  13. firm — decided
  14. bass — low music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. staff — employees
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. present — a gift

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