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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: firm · chair · cabinet · staff · bank · bowl · hand · fork

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bank — for money
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bank — for money
  12. staff — employees
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. firm — a company
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. firm — steady
  17. fork — in a road
  18. hand — help
  19. bank — of a river
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. staff — employees
  24. chair — a professorship

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