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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: cue · roll · bass · pitch · squash · swing · lie · pop

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pop — soda
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. pop — music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bass — low music
  10. swing — music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cue — a signal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. roll — a list
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cue — a hint

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