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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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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: bass · kick · stand · suit · stick · chair · tube · board

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. suit — in cards
  3. tube — a container
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bass — the fish
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. board — to get on
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bass — low music
  10. suit — clothes
  11. tube — the underground
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. chair — a leader
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stand — to bear
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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