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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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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: mine · nail · pitch · board · stand · court · stock · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. court — for sport
  4. pitch — completely
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. board — a committee
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. court — of law
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. court — of a king
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. board — to get on
  19. stock — goods
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mine — for digging
  23. stock — shares
  24. board — a flat piece

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