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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 116 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: cell · chair · board · court · march · racket · staff · firm

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cell — a phone
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. firm — steady
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. board — to get on
  8. staff — employees
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. chair — a leader
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. court — for sport
  14. board — a committee
  15. firm — a company
  16. march — the month
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. firm — decided
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cell — in biology
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. march — the month
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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