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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.

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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 · cabinet · pitch · season · root · temple · mark · nail

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. kick — in football
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pitch — completely
  12. season — in sport
  13. root — of a word
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mark — a grade
  17. root — of a plant
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. root — the cause
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cabinet — ministers

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