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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.

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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: deal · tube · stand · season · nail · root · mine · board

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. board — a committee
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. season — in sport
  6. deal — to handle
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. root — of a plant
  11. board — to get on
  12. root — the cause
  13. tube — a container
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stand — to bear
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. root — of a word
  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