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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 120 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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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: squash · pit · cue · ground · tube · bound · drill · ball

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bound — obliged
  4. ground — the earth
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. ground — a position
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bound — tied together
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. tube — a container
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pit — a hole
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cue — a hint
  24. tube — the underground

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