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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: jam · stand · mine · nail · leaves · board · bowl · drill

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. board — a committee
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. drill — the tool
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. drill — army training
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mine — for digging
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. jam — a tight spot

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