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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
468
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: fan · racket · wind · board · court · stand · mine · staff

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. staff — employees
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. court — for sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wind — moving air
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. court — of a king
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mine — for digging
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. board — a committee
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. staff — employees

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