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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: stick · degree · cabinet · chair · calf · stand · staff · pass

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. degree — from a university
  3. staff — employees
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pass — a permit
  10. staff — employees
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. degree — temperature
  19. staff — a stick
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. chair — to sit on

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