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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rock — music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stand — to bear
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. staff — employees
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rock — a stone
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rule — government
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rule — a law
  24. jam — in traffic

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