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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: chair · stand · branch · pass · scale · craft · stem · straw

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. branch — a division
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pass — a permit
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stem — to come from
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stand — to bear
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. craft — boats
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. straw — dry grass

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