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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: rule · pitch · stand · tube · hand · board · court · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. court — for sport
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rule — a law
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. board — to get on
  10. rule — government
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pitch — completely
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. board — a committee
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rush — hurry

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