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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: bulb · vault · ground · content · perch · temple · cue · racket

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cue — for pool
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. content — happy
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ground — the earth
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cue — a signal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. content — the amount

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