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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: firm · current · bat · coach · staff · fine · stick · fall

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. firm — a company
  6. current — happening now
  7. staff — employees
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. staff — a stick
  12. firm — decided
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fall — to drop
  16. staff — employees
  17. current — of water
  18. fall — the season
  19. fine — all right
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. current — electric
  23. firm — steady
  24. fine — high quality

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