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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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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: foot · kick · pit · mate · coach · roll · land · board

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. land — a country
  6. mate — a friend
  7. land — to come down
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. foot — a measure
  12. board — a committee
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pit — a hole
  15. land — ground
  16. roll — a cake
  17. board — to get on
  18. mate — a partner
  19. kick — in football
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mate — to breed
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. roll — a list

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