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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 120 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: board · row · pit · spring · club · stand · present · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. board — to get on
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. club — for golf
  8. spring — a coil
  9. present — there
  10. stand — to bear
  11. present — a gift
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. club — a group
  14. board — a committee
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. present — the time now
  20. row — a line
  21. pit — in a race
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stand — on your feet

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