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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: kick · root · trunk · scale · pound · coach · temple · net

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. root — of a word
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. root — of a plant
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. net — after costs
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pound — a weight
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. net — for catching
  19. kick — in football
  20. net — in sport
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. root — the cause
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. trunk — of a tree

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