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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 120 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: cell · suit · staff · pound · firm · craft · pop · chest

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cell — in biology
  3. staff — employees
  4. cell — a phone
  5. suit — to fit
  6. firm — a company
  7. chest — a box
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. firm — decided
  10. pop — to visit
  11. staff — a stick
  12. chest — of your body
  13. staff — employees
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pound — a weight
  16. firm — steady
  17. chest — of your body
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. craft — boats
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pop — music
  23. craft — a skill
  24. suit — in cards

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