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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 · field · nail · last · mouse · land · bowl · board

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. field — farmland
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. last — finally
  5. field — for sport
  6. last — final
  7. board — to get on
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. land — to come down
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. last — to go on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. board — a committee
  22. field — a subject
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. land — ground

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