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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 116 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: leaves · court · march · pound · bore · pop · squash · club

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pound — a weight
  4. march — the month
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. court — for sport
  7. bore — to drill
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. club — for dancing
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. squash — to crush
  13. march — music
  14. pop — music
  15. club — for golf
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. court — of law
  19. march — the month
  20. court — of a king
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. club — a group
  24. squash — the sport

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