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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: cabinet · cue · ball · deal · squash · bass · club · cold

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cold — an illness
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cue — for pool
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cue — a signal

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