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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: wave · pop · chair · stand · spring · mouse · board · rash

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. spring — of water
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. board — a committee
  14. spring — the season
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rash — a series
  18. pop — to visit
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pop — soda
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pop — music
  23. board — to get on
  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