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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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. mug — to rob
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. chest — of your body
  6. firm — decided
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. scale — in music
  10. mug — a cup
  11. band — a music group
  12. mug — a face
  13. scale — size or range
  14. squash — to crush
  15. season — of the year
  16. band — a ring
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. chest — a box
  23. season — in sport
  24. squash — the sport

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