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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.

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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: bore · club · stand · squash · lean · kid · pop · cue

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. club — a group
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pop — soda
  7. club — for golf
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cue — for pool
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. squash — to crush
  15. kid — to tease
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bore — to tire
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. lean — thin
  21. pop — music
  22. kid — child
  23. lean — to bend
  24. club — for dancing

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