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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: current · stand · pitch · club · roll · stick · board · saw

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. board — to get on
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitch — completely
  7. current — electric
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stand — to bear
  11. current — of water
  12. club — a group
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. roll — a list
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. club — for dancing
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. roll — a cake
  22. current — happening now
  23. club — for golf
  24. stand — on your feet

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