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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: board · tube · mine · race · leaves · bear · stand · field

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. field — farmland
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. field — a subject
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. board — to get on
  16. field — for sport
  17. race — the arms race
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bear — the animal
  21. race — a contest
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mine — an explosive

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