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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: land · cue · lie · season · bound · pitcher · firm · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bound — certain
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. land — a country
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. land — to come down
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cue — a signal
  17. land — ground
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. firm — decided
  20. cue — for pool
  21. firm — steady
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. firm — a company
  24. bound — tied together

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