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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: row · staff · track · board · pass · chair · kick · mouse

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. row — a line
  3. board — to get on
  4. track — a song
  5. chair — a leader
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. track — to keep track
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. staff — employees
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. row — to paddle
  18. track — a path
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pass — to spend time

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