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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 · staff · kid · content · stick · bat · track · fan

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. staff — employees
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. track — a path
  17. kid — to tease
  18. content — happy
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. track — a song
  21. staff — employees
  22. kid — child
  23. content — the amount
  24. bat — for baseball

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