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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · game · temple · hand · club · kid · mug · scale

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. game — a match
  4. hand — in cards
  5. club — for golf
  6. hand — help
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cue — a signal
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. scale — size or range
  11. game — wild animals
  12. club — for dancing
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cue — for pool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. scale — in music
  17. mug — a face
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. club — a group
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cue — a hint

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