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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: firm · stand · board · rule · pound · ball · wound · cue

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rule — a law
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cue — a hint
  11. firm — steady
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. board — a committee
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wound — an injury
  16. board — to get on
  17. rule — government
  18. stand — to bear
  19. firm — decided
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. firm — a company
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stand — for spectators

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