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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: stand · bound · calf · mug · board · race · scale · date

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mug — a face
  8. board — to get on
  9. date — the fruit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. scale — size or range
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. race — a contest
  16. bound — certain
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mug — a cup
  19. scale — in music
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. race — humankind

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