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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · present · firm · land · rush · stick · court · stand

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. firm — a company
  4. staff — employees
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. staff — employees
  7. present — the time now
  8. land — ground
  9. staff — a stick
  10. court — for sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. present — a gift
  15. stand — to bear
  16. firm — decided
  17. present — there
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. land — a country
  20. rush — hurry
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. land — to come down
  24. stand — on your feet

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