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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: kick · temple · can · game · board · suit · spring · track

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. spring — the season
  3. track — a song
  4. suit — clothes
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. kick — in football
  8. game — a match
  9. board — a committee
  10. suit — to fit
  11. game — wild animals
  12. board — to get on
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spring — a coil
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. track — a path
  20. spring — of water
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. can — a tin
  24. track — to keep track

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