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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. cue — for pool
  3. object — to protest
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cue — a signal
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cue — a hint
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. present — the time now
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. pop — soda
  13. object — a thing
  14. present — a gift
  15. ball — a great time
  16. squash — the sport
  17. object — an aim
  18. pop — music
  19. season — of the year
  20. pop — to visit
  21. present — there
  22. season — in sport
  23. file — a tool
  24. ball — a dance

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