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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 120 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: chest · pass · coach · craft · stand · band · board · court

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. board — a committee
  3. court — for sport
  4. band — a music group
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. board — to get on
  7. chest — a box
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. court — of a king
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. craft — boats
  17. chest — of your body
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pass — a permit
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. court — of law

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