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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: squash · bay · mouse · file · cue · pitch · ball · leaves

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cue — for pool
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cue — a signal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. file — a line of people
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ball — a great time
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cue — a hint
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. squash — to crush
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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