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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chest · bowl · current · ground · staff · stand · tube · arm

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. staff — employees
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. current — happening now
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. staff — a stick
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. chest — a box
  11. current — electric
  12. ground — crushed
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tube — a container
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. current — of water
  18. staff — employees
  19. chest — of your body
  20. tube — the underground
  21. ground — a position
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bowl — a football final

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