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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: pit · bowl · board · field · mouse · nail · pitcher · leaves

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. board — a committee
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. field — for sport
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pit — in a race
  8. field — a subject
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. field — farmland
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. board — to get on
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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