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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: firm · track · chest · toast · arm · chair · staff · field

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. chair — a leader
  3. firm — decided
  4. track — a path
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. firm — steady
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. track — to keep track
  10. staff — employees
  11. field — farmland
  12. firm — a company
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. staff — employees
  17. field — a subject
  18. track — a song
  19. field — for sport
  20. staff — a stick
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chest — of your body

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