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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: last · chair · chip · vault · arm · toast · staff · field

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. last — to go on
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. chip — for betting
  8. vault — a safe
  9. staff — a stick
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. last — finally
  12. field — a subject
  13. last — final
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. staff — employees
  18. field — farmland
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. field — for sport
  24. toast — bread

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