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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: cabinet · board · bat · roll · temple · bank · coach · pop

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bat — the animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bank — for money
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pop — soda
  9. bank — for money
  10. pop — music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. roll — a list
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bank — of a river
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. roll — a cake
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. board — to get on
  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