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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: rush · chair · march · board · staff · tube · mouse · stand

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. staff — employees
  3. tube — a container
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. march — music
  6. rush — hurry
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. staff — employees
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. chair — a leader
  12. march — the month
  13. board — to get on
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stand — to bear
  20. staff — a stick
  21. board — a committee
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. march — the month
  24. mouse — the animal

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