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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: cue · rash · stand · can · game · wound · mine · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. game — a match
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cue — a hint
  9. can — a tin
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. game — wild animals
  18. cue — for pool
  19. can — a tin
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rash — a series
  24. wound — an injury

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