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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: stock · mouse · staff · cap · pass · hand · stem · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pass — a permit
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cap — a hat
  15. stock — shares
  16. staff — employees
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hand — help
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. staff — employees
  22. stock — goods
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cap — a lid

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