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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: foot · rush · bound · pit · clip · stand · board · staff

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. clip — to cut
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. staff — employees
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. bound — obliged
  11. board — to get on
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bound — tied together
  18. board — a committee
  19. pit — in a race
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bound — certain
  24. clip — a video

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