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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.

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: track · board · foot · ball · firm · sharp · temple · leaves

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ball — a great time
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. foot — a measure
  9. firm — steady
  10. ball — a dance
  11. track — to keep track
  12. sharp — clever
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. track — a path
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. firm — decided
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. firm — a company
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. track — a song

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