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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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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: board · bowl · last · rule · kid · band · stand · pitch

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. last — finally
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. last — final
  6. stand — to bear
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. band — a ring
  9. last — to go on
  10. kid — child
  11. rule — a law
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rule — government
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pitch — completely
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. band — a music group

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