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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 · squash · fall · sharp · pass · key · bass · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fall — the season
  16. bass — the fish
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pass — a permit
  20. key — the most important part
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bass — low music
  23. sharp — clever
  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