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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 116 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: staff · root · straw · stand · content · cap · press · board

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. root — of a word
  3. press — newspapers
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stand — to bear
  6. staff — employees
  7. board — a committee
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cap — a hat
  10. board — to get on
  11. root — the cause
  12. content — happy
  13. press — a publisher
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. staff — employees
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. content — the amount
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. root — of a plant
  21. press — to push
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. straw — a straw man

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