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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
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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: board · cell · dip · stand · staff · march · bark · racket

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. march — music
  4. staff — employees
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. dip — to sink
  13. march — the month
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. board — to get on
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bark — to shout
  21. march — the month
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. board — a committee
  24. racket — a loud noise

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