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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. race — the arms race
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. race — humankind
  11. swing — to play on
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — a contest
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bulb — for light
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. squash — to crush
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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