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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: jam · stand · rule · stock · face · stick · chest · staff

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. face — to confront
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. staff — employees
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. staff — employees
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. rule — a law
  13. chest — of your body
  14. staff — a stick
  15. face — to point toward
  16. chest — a box
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rule — government
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stand — to bear

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