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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 · content · cue · racket · mark · swing · stock · object

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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 signal
  2. object — to protest
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mark — a trace
  5. swing — to play on
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mark — a grade
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. swing — music
  13. content — happy
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. cue — for pool
  16. object — a thing
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. object — an aim
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cue — a hint
  22. swing — in golf
  23. racket — for tennis
  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