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

Word bank: race · stick · mate · stand · board · staff

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. board — to get on
  3. staff — employees
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. board — a committee
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mate — to breed
  9. staff — a stick
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. race — a contest
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — humankind
  14. mate — a partner
  15. staff — employees
  16. mate — a friend
  17. race — the arms race
  18. stand — for spectators

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