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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · pitcher · stand · bound · pass · staff · rule · cell

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. firm — decided
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cell — a phone
  5. staff — employees
  6. stand — to bear
  7. staff — employees
  8. rule — government
  9. staff — a stick
  10. firm — steady
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rule — a law
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. firm — a company
  18. bound — obliged
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bound — certain
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pitcher — a jug

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