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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 · pound · ball · pitch · coach · hand · lean · stem

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lean — to bend
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pound — a weight
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. staff — employees
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. lean — thin
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. hand — help
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stem — to come from
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stem — of a plant

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