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

Word bank: stand · kid · staff · bass · cell · ruler · bear · pitcher

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. staff — employees
  10. stand — to bear
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bass — low music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. staff — employees
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cell — a phone
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. stand — for spectators

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