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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: fan · cue · squash · march · pound · prune · pass · bore

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. prune — to trim
  6. march — the month
  7. prune — to trim
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. march — the month
  12. cue — a hint
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. march — music
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bore — to drill

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