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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. file — a document
  4. fine — high quality
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. net — in sport
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cue — a hint
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. file — a line of people
  14. deal — to handle
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. file — a tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fine — all right
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music 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