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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: ruler · perch · racket · temple · wound · cue · wake · ground

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wound — an injury
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. perch — the fish
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ground — crushed
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wake — a trail
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. wound — an injury

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