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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bat · firm · staff · chip · scale · saw · kick · coach

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chip — to eat
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. kick — in football
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bat — the animal
  11. staff — a stick
  12. firm — decided
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. chip — for betting
  21. scale — in music
  22. saw — the tool
  23. firm — a company
  24. coach — a trainer

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