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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: track · race · temple · present · stem · racket · dip · cue

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cue — a signal
  3. track — a song
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cue — a hint
  6. present — the time now
  7. track — a path
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. race — the arms race
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stem — to come from
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. present — there
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. present — a gift
  19. cue — for pool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. track — to keep track
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. dip — a sauce

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