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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: saw · cue · wake · pitcher · bound · mine · squash · ball

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bound — certain
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wake — a trail
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. squash — the sport
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bound — obliged
  24. ball — a great time

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