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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: squash · rule · rash · shower · pop · ball · swing · cue

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rash — a series
  3. shower — to wash
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ball — a dance
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rule — a law
  9. swing — to play on
  10. shower — rain
  11. pop — soda
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pop — music
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rule — government
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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