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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. key — the most important part
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cue — a signal
  5. drill — the tool
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rush — hurry
  8. squash — the sport
  9. key — in music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cue — a hint
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. drill — army training
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. swing — music
  23. key — for a lock
  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