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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 120 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: pitcher · spring · tube · ruler · stand · arm · staff · land

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. spring — of water
  3. staff — a stick
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. spring — the season
  9. land — ground
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stand — to bear
  13. tube — the underground
  14. land — to come down
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. land — a country
  21. staff — employees
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. tube — a container
  24. staff — employees

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