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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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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cue — a signal
  4. hand — help
  5. suit — clothes
  6. club — for dancing
  7. suit — in cards
  8. hand — in cards
  9. object — to protest
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. cue — for pool
  18. object — an aim
  19. club — for golf
  20. kid — child
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. club — a group
  24. temple — side of the head

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