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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stand · squash · pitcher · club · swing · patient · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cue — for pool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cue — a hint
  6. club — for golf
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cue — a signal
  10. squash — to crush
  11. club — a group
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. squash — the sport
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. swing — music
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. swing — in golf

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