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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: temple · cue · arm · mark · file · cap · ball · content

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cue — a signal
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. cue — a hint
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. file — a line of people
  9. ball — a dance
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. file — a document
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cap — a lid
  16. file — a tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cap — a hat
  19. content — the amount
  20. cap — of ice
  21. content — happy
  22. cue — for pool
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mark — a grade

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