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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: bank · key · root · field · mate · leaves · fall · board

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. key — the most important part
  3. field — farmland
  4. bank — for money
  5. key — in music
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. key — for a lock
  11. field — a subject
  12. fall — to drop
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fall — the season
  15. root — of a word
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bank — for money
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. board — to get on
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. field — for sport
  23. board — a committee
  24. bank — of a river

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