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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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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 · cue · stand · degree · club · wind · lie · object

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. club — for dancing
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. object — an aim
  7. board — to get on
  8. cue — a hint
  9. board — a committee
  10. degree — temperature
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cue — for pool
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. club — a group
  20. degree — from a university
  21. object — a thing
  22. club — for golf
  23. object — to protest
  24. stand — to bear

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