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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: stand · land · pit · object · lean · fan · bass · stem

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. object — to protest
  3. land — ground
  4. stem — to come from
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bass — low music
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lean — thin
  18. object — a thing
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stand — to bear
  21. object — an aim
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bass — the instrument
  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