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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: season · mug · board · ball · straw · staff · temple · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. season — in sport
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mug — a cup
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mug — a face
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. season — of the year
  13. mug — to rob
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. staff — employees
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. staff — employees
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. staff — a stick

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