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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 116 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: mine · squash · mouse · can · scale · cue · pitcher · cell

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cue — for pool
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. can — a tin
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cell — a phone
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. can — a tin
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mine — an explosive

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