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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: kick · temple · swing · chip · cue · stick · ball · vault

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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 — a hint
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chip — for betting
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chip — to eat
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. swing — in golf
  13. ball — a great time
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. vault — a safe
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cue — a signal
  20. swing — music
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. ball — a dance
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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