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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: staff · suit · file · pitcher · pass · mouse · can · stem

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. suit — in cards
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. can — a tin
  11. stem — to come from
  12. file — a tool
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. can — a tin
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. staff — employees
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. file — a document

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