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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pound — a weight
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. club — for golf
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bound — obliged
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cue — a hint
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bound — tied together
  13. club — a group
  14. swing — to play on
  15. club — for dancing
  16. swing — music
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bound — certain
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. jam — in traffic

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