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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.

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: march · temple · firm · perch · wave · game · spring · cue

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cue — for pool
  3. firm — a company
  4. game — a match
  5. march — the month
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. march — the month
  10. spring — of water
  11. firm — steady
  12. spring — a coil
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. spring — the season
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. march — music
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. perch — the fish
  21. firm — decided
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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