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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: board · root · drill · mate · land · stand · bound · mouse

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. land — ground
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mate — a partner
  11. root — the cause
  12. board — to get on
  13. drill — the tool
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. root — of a word
  16. drill — army training
  17. land — to come down
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. board — a committee
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bound — certain
  24. mate — a friend

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