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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 · staff · suit · coach · craft · chest · pop · mine

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. firm — steady
  3. suit — clothes
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — soda
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. firm — a company
  8. craft — a skill
  9. chest — a box
  10. pop — to visit
  11. staff — employees
  12. firm — decided
  13. pop — music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. suit — in cards
  18. mine — for digging
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. craft — boats
  22. suit — to fit
  23. chest — of your body
  24. staff — employees

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