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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: field · board · bowl · mark · band · court · mine · leaves

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. court — of a king
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. court — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. board — a committee
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. band — a music group
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. court — of law
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mark — a trace
  16. field — for sport
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. band — a ring
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. board — to get on
  24. field — farmland

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