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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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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: band · nail · date · rule · chair · stand · board · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rule — government
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stand — to bear
  9. board — a committee
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. board — to get on
  12. band — a music group
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. band — a ring
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. rule — a law
  22. chair — a leader
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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