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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. staff — a stick
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. shower — rain
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. shower — to wash
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stem — to come from
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stand — to bear
  23. staff — employees
  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