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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cap — of ice
  9. board — to get on
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. court — of a king
  16. cap — a hat
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. firm — decided

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