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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: temple · jam · board · root · date · track · coach · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. board — to get on
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. date — the fruit
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. root — of a word
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. board — a committee
  22. track — to keep track
  23. kick — in football
  24. temple — a place of worship

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