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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: pound · roll · charge · content · firm · wake · squash · cue

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. content — the amount
  3. firm — steady
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. charge — electricity
  6. roll — a list
  7. pound — a weight
  8. cue — a hint
  9. firm — decided
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. squash — the sport
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wake — a trail
  16. firm — a company
  17. content — happy
  18. squash — to crush
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. roll — a cake
  21. charge — in control
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. charge — a price
  24. cue — a signal

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