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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: root · racket · stand · field · arm · leaves · board · toast

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. root — the cause
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. field — farmland
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stand — to bear
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. field — for sport
  18. root — of a plant
  19. field — a subject
  20. toast — bread
  21. root — of a word
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. toast — the most admired

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