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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: land · ball · leaves · lean · present · rush · field · board

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. field — for sport
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. land — a country
  6. rush — hurry
  7. board — to get on
  8. present — the time now
  9. field — farmland
  10. present — there
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lean — thin
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. land — to come down
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. present — a gift
  20. board — a committee
  21. land — ground
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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