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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 120 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: saw · court · straw · stick · temple · stand · club · staff

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stand — to bear
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. court — of law
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. club — a group
  9. court — of a king
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. saw — the tool
  12. court — for sport
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. club — for dancing
  20. saw — the tool
  21. club — for golf
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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