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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: rash · hand · board · stand · row · staff · club · ruler

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. staff — a stick
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. staff — employees
  5. rash — hasty
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. board — a committee
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. hand — help
  13. row — a line
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. club — for golf
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. staff — employees
  18. row — to paddle
  19. stand — to bear
  20. club — a group
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rash — a series
  24. club — for dancing

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