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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · squash · toast · straw · content · cue · last · pop

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pop — soda
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cue — a signal
  6. last — final
  7. squash — to crush
  8. cue — a hint
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cue — for pool
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. squash — the sport
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. pop — music
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. last — finally
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. toast — bread
  22. ground — the earth
  23. last — to go on
  24. ground — a position

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