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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · ruler · board · spell · season · pitcher · racket · wind

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. season — in sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. board — to get on
  13. season — of the year
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. spell — letters
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wind — moving air
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. board — a committee
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stand — to bear

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