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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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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 · rest · squash · roll · bulb · board · last · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rest — a break
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. squash — to crush
  5. board — to get on
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cue — a signal
  8. net — for catching
  9. cue — a hint
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. squash — the sport
  12. roll — a cake
  13. net — after costs
  14. roll — a list
  15. last — final
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. last — finally
  20. cue — for pool
  21. board — a committee
  22. last — to go on
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rest — what's left

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