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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: hide · hand · stand · cue · stick · racket · current · bear

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stand — to bear
  7. current — of water
  8. hand — help
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cue — for pool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cue — a signal
  22. current — electric
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. hide — to keep secret

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