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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 · straw · game · net · prune · nail · bark · staff

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. staff — employees
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. prune — to trim
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. stand — to bear
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. net — in sport
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. net — after costs
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. net — for catching
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bark — to shout
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. game — a match
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. game — wild animals

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