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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: bulb · stand · field · cabinet · pitcher · staff · row · jam

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bulb — for light
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. row — a line
  8. field — farmland
  9. staff — a stick
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. staff — employees
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. staff — employees
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. row — to paddle
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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