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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: present · club · stand · cue · board · season · drill · court

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cue — a hint
  3. club — a group
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cue — for pool
  6. season — in sport
  7. board — to get on
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. present — the time now
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stand — to bear
  14. club — for golf
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. season — of the year
  17. court — of law
  18. present — there
  19. drill — a practice
  20. club — for dancing
  21. court — for sport
  22. present — a gift
  23. court — of a king
  24. drill — army training

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