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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: pop · ball · fine · current · ground · cue · squash · tear

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pop — to visit
  5. tear — from crying
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cue — for pool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. fine — high quality
  10. current — of water
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fine — all right
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pop — soda
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pop — music
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. squash — the vegetable

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