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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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Word bank
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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: perch · cue · face · squash · prune · can · race · tube

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. squash — the sport
  3. face — to point toward
  4. can — to be able to
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. can — a tin
  7. face — part of the head
  8. tube — a container
  9. race — the arms race
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. race — humankind
  13. cue — a signal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. prune — to trim
  16. face — to confront
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cue — a hint
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. prune — to trim
  22. can — a tin
  23. race — a contest
  24. perch — the fish

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