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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pop — music
  21. band — a music group
  22. rush — hurry
  23. band — a ring
  24. pop — to visit

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