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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 124 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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cue — a signal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. roll — a list
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. row — a line
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bound — obliged
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. roll — a cake
  19. squash — to crush
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. bound — certain
  24. row — to paddle

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