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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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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: row · stand · staff · tube · march · board · kick · court

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. court — for sport
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. staff — employees
  6. march — the month
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. tube — a container
  11. board — to get on
  12. court — of law
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stand — to bear
  15. board — a committee
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. row — a line
  19. tube — the underground
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. court — of a king
  23. kick — in football
  24. march — music

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