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

Word bank: kick · cue · coach · bowl · present · temple

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cue — for pool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cue — a signal
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. kick — in football
  9. present — the time now
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. present — there
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cue — a hint
  17. present — a gift
  18. bowl — a football final

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