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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: date · bay · cell · game · ball · stem · stand · staff

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. staff — employees
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. game — a match
  10. cell — in biology
  11. staff — a stick
  12. stem — to come from
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. staff — employees
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. date — the fruit
  23. ball — a dance
  24. date — on the calendar

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