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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · board · pitch · temple · game · root · bark · mine

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. game — a match
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. board — a committee
  13. bark — to shout
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. board — to get on
  17. root — of a plant
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bark — of a tree

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