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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
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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: jam · bowl · court · bark · temple · kick · board · game

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bark — to shout
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. game — wild animals
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. court — of law
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. court — for sport
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. court — of a king
  22. game — a match
  23. bowl — a dish
  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