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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: race · bass · present · clip · cabinet · stand · staff · firm

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. staff — employees
  3. race — a contest
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. staff — employees
  6. present — a gift
  7. clip — to cut
  8. present — there
  9. race — humankind
  10. clip — a video
  11. firm — decided
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. firm — steady
  14. stand — to bear
  15. firm — a company
  16. race — the arms race
  17. present — the time now
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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