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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: drill · march · court · board · lean · bay · mate · stand

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. board — to get on
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. march — the month
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. board — a committee
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lean — thin
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. court — of law
  13. drill — the tool
  14. march — the month
  15. mate — to breed
  16. court — for sport
  17. march — music
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. drill — army training
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mate — a friend
  23. court — of a king
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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