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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cue — a hint
  3. spell — a short time
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fall — to drop
  7. spell — magic
  8. firm — decided
  9. fall — the season
  10. net — after costs
  11. cell — a phone
  12. net — for catching
  13. spell — letters
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. net — in sport
  17. firm — a company
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bass — low music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. firm — steady
  24. cue — for pool

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