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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. bank — for money
  5. stand — to bear
  6. staff — a stick
  7. date — the fruit
  8. scale — size or range
  9. hand — in cards
  10. scale — in music
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bank — for money
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. staff — employees
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bank — of a river
  23. staff — employees
  24. pitcher — a jug

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