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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: rash · board · pitch · track · game · kid · temple · cabinet

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. kid — child
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rash — a series
  6. board — a committee
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. track — a path
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. board — to get on
  18. kid — to tease
  19. game — a match
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. track — a song

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