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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: leaves · board · suit · track · ground · rock · jam · wind

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. track — a song
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. rock — music
  7. board — to get on
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wind — moving air
  11. ground — the earth
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rock — a stone
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. board — a committee
  21. track — a path
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. suit — clothes
  24. board — a flat piece

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