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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 116 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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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: content · band · stand · pit · row · fine · club · staff

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. staff — employees
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. pit — a hole
  8. row — to paddle
  9. band — a music group
  10. club — a group
  11. content — the amount
  12. row — a line
  13. band — a ring
  14. club — for dancing
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. staff — employees
  19. content — happy
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. staff — a stick
  23. club — for golf
  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