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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: jam · nail · kick · race · ground · ball · temple · coach

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. kick — in football
  4. ball — a great time
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ground — a position
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. race — the arms race
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. race — humankind
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ball — a dance
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. race — a contest
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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