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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. club — for dancing
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. squash — the sport
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. race — humankind
  9. object — to protest
  10. club — for golf
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pop — music
  14. pound — a weight
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cue — a signal
  17. board — a committee
  18. race — a contest
  19. object — a thing
  20. pop — soda
  21. object — an aim
  22. pop — to visit
  23. club — a group
  24. board — to get on

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