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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 116 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: stand · board · tube · object · patient · cue · bat · rush

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. object — an aim
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bat — the animal
  10. object — a thing
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tube — the underground
  13. board — a committee
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. object — to protest
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stand — to bear
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. tube — a container

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