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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 116 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: leaves · ground · plane · land · cabinet · board · racket · rash

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rash — hasty
  4. ground — crushed
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. board — to get on
  9. plane — a tool
  10. land — to come down
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. land — ground
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. board — a committee
  20. rash — a series
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ground — a position

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