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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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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: bay · stand · pitch · club · current · board · pop · tube

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. club — a group
  7. pop — music
  8. current — happening now
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. current — electric
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. current — of water
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. tube — a container
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. stand — to bear
  19. club — for golf
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. tube — the underground

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