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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: temple · jam · swing · cue · toast · club · racket · calf

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. club — for golf
  5. cue — for pool
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cue — a hint
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. club — for dancing
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. swing — in golf
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. toast — bread
  24. club — a group

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