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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.

Make a worksheet

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: firm · staff · field · chest · coach · key · kick · track

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. kick — in football
  3. chest — of your body
  4. staff — a stick
  5. chest — a box
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. track — a song
  12. field — a subject
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. key — for a lock
  15. firm — steady
  16. field — for sport
  17. firm — a company
  18. track — a path
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. track — to keep track
  21. field — farmland
  22. firm — decided
  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