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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: cabinet · jam · stand · staff · stick · last · face · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. last — final
  4. face — to point toward
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. staff — employees
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. face — to confront
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. stand — to bear
  14. staff — employees
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. last — to go on
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. last — finally
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. staff — a stick

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