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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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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 · squash · hide · pit · stand · safe · pound · band

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. squash — to crush
  3. board — a committee
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pit — in a race
  6. band — a ring
  7. pound — a weight
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. band — a music group
  12. board — to get on
  13. pit — a hole
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. safe — out of danger

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