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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: bear · pass · staff · stand · chair · bulb · cue · cap

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. staff — employees
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. staff — a stick
  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