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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · court · stand · wound · hand · wake · row · pound

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. row — to paddle
  4. board — a committee
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. row — a line
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. hand — in cards
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pound — a weight
  18. hand — help
  19. wound — an injury
  20. board — to get on
  21. wound — an injury
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stand — to bear
  24. court — of a king

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