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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: land · stand · stick · cabinet · firm · pitcher · field · nail

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. field — farmland
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. firm — decided
  10. field — for sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. field — a subject
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. land — ground

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