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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: temple · straw · coach · board · cap · racket · squash · ground

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. board — a committee
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. board — to get on
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ground — a position
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cap — a lid
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. squash — the sport
  18. ground — the earth
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cap — of ice
  21. squash — to crush
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ground — crushed
  24. temple — side of the head

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