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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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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: board · cap · face · root · mark · coach · roll · kick

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. kick — in football
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. board — a committee
  8. face — to confront
  9. mark — a trace
  10. face — to point toward
  11. board — to get on
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. roll — a list
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cap — a lid
  17. roll — a cake
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. root — of a word
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. root — of a plant
  24. mark — a grade

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