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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — a stick
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. bark — to shout
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. spring — the season
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. spring — a coil
  17. staff — employees
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. spring — of water
  21. staff — employees
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. club — a group
  24. stem — to come from

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