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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: kid · temple · cue · racket · dip · jam · net · wound

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wound — an injury
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. net — after costs
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. dip — to sink
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. cue — for pool
  18. net — in sport
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wound — an injury
  21. net — for catching
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. kid — to tease

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