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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: board · current · fan · stand · club · court · pitch · kid

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. board — to get on
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stand — to bear
  7. kid — child
  8. current — happening now
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. court — of law
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. current — of water
  14. pitch — completely
  15. club — a group
  16. court — for sport
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. board — a committee
  20. court — of a king
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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