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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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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 · stand · swing · track · foot · clip · land · ruler

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. land — ground
  3. board — to get on
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. swing — in golf
  10. land — a country
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. track — to keep track
  13. swing — music
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. clip — a video
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. land — to come down
  19. foot — a measure
  20. clip — for paper
  21. board — a committee
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. clip — to cut

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