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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: stand · pound · racket · calf · firm · board · chair · cell

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. firm — steady
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. board — a committee
  12. firm — a company
  13. chair — a leader
  14. cell — in biology
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cell — a phone
  18. board — to get on
  19. pound — a weight
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. firm — decided
  24. calf — a young animal

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