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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: mark · temple · dip · craft · coach · racket · cue · rock

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mark — a grade
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rock — music
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rock — a stone
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mark — a trace
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. dip — to sink
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cue — a signal

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