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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 · cap · lean · stand · kid · charge · court · pitch

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. charge — electricity
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. cap — of ice
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. charge — a price
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. staff — employees
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lean — thin
  18. staff — employees
  19. kid — child
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. charge — in control
  22. lean — to bend
  23. court — of law
  24. cap — a lid

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