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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · stand · coach · branch · staff · bat · content · stick

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. branch — a division
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mug — a face
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. content — happy
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. content — the amount
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. content — videos and posts

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