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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: club · pitcher · rash · staff · key · craft · bore · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rash — a series
  6. club — for golf
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. club — for dancing
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. staff — employees
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. club — a group
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. staff — employees
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. craft — boats

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