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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · ground · wake · craft · cue · temple · pitcher · degree

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ground — a position
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chip — to eat
  7. craft — boats
  8. chip — for betting
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. degree — an amount
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wake — a trail
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ground — crushed

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