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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: pitcher · jam · stem · stick · staff · stand · bound · race

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. staff — employees
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — humankind
  14. bound — obliged
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. staff — a stick
  20. stem — to come from
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bound — certain
  24. stem — a stem cell

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