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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 · clip · chair · firm · bowl · ground · wind · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. staff — employees
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wind — moving air
  8. clip — to cut
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stand — to bear
  11. firm — steady
  12. clip — a video
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wind — moving air
  17. firm — decided
  18. staff — employees
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. clip — for paper
  22. staff — a stick
  23. chair — a leader
  24. firm — a company

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