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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: file · hand · board · bore · racket · field · ground · leaves

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bore — to drill
  5. field — a subject
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. file — a tool
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. file — a document
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. field — for sport
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. field — farmland
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. ground — the earth
  20. board — to get on
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. hand — help
  23. bore — to tire
  24. board — a committee

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