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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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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 · ruler · pound · bass · saw · tear · tube · squash

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — the sport
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bass — the fish
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. tube — a container
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bass — low music
  16. tear — from crying
  17. squash — to crush
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. saw — the tool
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pound — for dogs

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