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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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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: mate · stand · squash · board · rush · fine · cue · row

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. row — a line
  15. board — to get on
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. board — a committee

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