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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 · track · fine · ruler · cue · mine · temple · swing

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mine — for digging
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. fine — high quality
  9. track — a path
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cue — for pool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. swing — music
  16. cue — a signal
  17. swing — in golf
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. swing — to play on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. track — a song
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mark — a trace

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