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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cap — a lid
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. firm — steady
  8. content — the amount
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. firm — a company
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stem — to come from
  18. branch — a division
  19. firm — decided
  20. content — happy
  21. bat — the animal
  22. stand — to bear
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fan — a supporter

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