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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: stand · charge · row · mouse · ball · staff · prune · hand

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. charge — in control
  3. ball — a great time
  4. staff — employees
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. ball — a dance
  10. charge — a price
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. hand — help
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. row — a line
  18. staff — employees
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stand — to bear
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. charge — electricity
  23. row — to paddle
  24. hand — part of the body

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