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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 120 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: cue · bass · can · coach · game · swing · squash · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. cue — for pool
  3. can — a tin
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. can — a tin
  6. cue — a signal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. foot — a measure
  9. swing — to play on
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. swing — music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. squash — to crush
  20. swing — in golf
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cue — a hint
  23. squash — the sport
  24. game — a match

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