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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. temple — side of the head
  2. ball — a dance
  3. board — to get on
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bear — the animal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chip — to eat
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. field — farmland
  13. swing — music
  14. chip — for betting
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. kick — in football
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ball — a great time
  19. field — for sport
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. board — a committee
  24. field — a subject

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