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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: stem · staff · dip · land · stand · club · pop · hand

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. staff — employees
  5. pop — soda
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pop — music
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. land — to come down
  16. staff — employees
  17. land — a country
  18. pop — to visit
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. land — ground
  21. hand — help
  22. staff — a stick
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. club — a group

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