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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. cue — for pool
  6. row — a line
  7. ground — crushed
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fine — high quality
  10. ground — the earth
  11. row — to paddle
  12. hand — in cards
  13. suit — in cards
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. squash — the sport
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. suit — to fit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hand — help
  20. fine — all right
  21. ground — a position
  22. cue — a signal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. suit — clothes

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