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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · stick · board · rule · field · coach · leaves · tube

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. tube — the underground
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mate — a partner
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. field — farmland
  9. tube — a container
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. board — a committee
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. board — to get on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rule — a law
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — for sport
  24. mate — to breed

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