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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. board — a committee
  5. cell — a phone
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pop — soda
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mug — a face
  12. board — to get on
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pop — music
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. band — a ring
  19. hand — help
  20. mug — to rob
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bowl — a football final

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