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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: stand · roll · staff · vault · club · suit · field · pitcher

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. suit — clothes
  6. field — farmland
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. roll — a cake
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. staff — employees
  15. field — a subject
  16. staff — employees
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe
  19. roll — a list
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. club — a group
  24. field — for sport

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