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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cue · squash · pound · pop · tube · bass · chest · court

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. chest — a box
  4. pound — a weight
  5. squash — the sport
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pop — to visit
  8. court — of law
  9. chest — of your body
  10. tube — a container
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pop — music
  13. court — of a king
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bass — low music
  19. squash — to crush
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. court — for 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