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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 120 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: leaves · bore · track · cell · object · board · ground · land

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. object — an aim
  5. board — a committee
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cell — a phone
  9. ground — a position
  10. bore — to drill
  11. track — a path
  12. bore — to tire
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cell — in biology
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. object — a thing
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. land — ground
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. board — to get on
  23. object — to protest
  24. ground — the earth

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