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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 · arm · current · pound · bowl · capital · stand · hide

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. staff — employees
  3. pound — a weight
  4. current — of water
  5. capital — a city
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. staff — a stick
  8. capital — money
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. current — electric
  21. staff — employees
  22. current — happening now
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bowl — to roll

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