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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 · ball · board · mark · ground · coach · dip · field

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ball — a dance
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. field — for sport
  15. ground — a position
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mark — a grade
  18. dip — to sink
  19. board — to get on
  20. ball — a great time
  21. field — farmland
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. field — a subject
  24. temple — a place of worship

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