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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: club · object · kick · temple · bat · fine · cue · scale

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cue — a signal
  7. club — for dancing
  8. object — an aim
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. scale — in music
  11. fine — all right
  12. object — a thing
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. scale — size or range
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. fine — high quality
  21. club — a group
  22. bat — the animal
  23. kick — in football
  24. object — to protest

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