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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cue — a signal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pop — to visit
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ground — crushed
  12. tear — from crying
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. club — a group
  19. suit — in cards
  20. squash — to crush
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pop — music
  23. suit — clothes
  24. tear — to rip

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