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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · chip · race · perch · drill · cue · club · squash

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. drill — the tool
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. squash — to crush
  9. drill — army training
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cue — for pool
  12. chip — to eat
  13. squash — the sport
  14. club — for dancing
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cue — a signal
  17. club — a group
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. perch — the fish
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. club — for golf

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