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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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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: club · root · board · toast · last · coach · jam · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. club — for golf
  6. root — the cause
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. club — for dancing
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. last — to go on
  12. club — a group
  13. board — to get on
  14. last — finally
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. last — final
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. root — of a plant
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — bread
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. board — a committee
  23. root — of a word
  24. board — a flat piece

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