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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: rush · pit · cabinet · mate · fine · stand · last · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fine — all right
  5. last — final
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mate — a partner
  8. board — a committee
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pit — a hole
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. last — to go on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. last — finally

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