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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: squash · wax · cue · object · kid · pop · swing · charge

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. charge — a price
  3. squash — the sport
  4. kid — child
  5. pop — to visit
  6. kid — to tease
  7. charge — in control
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pop — soda
  10. cue — a hint
  11. object — an aim
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pop — music
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cue — a signal
  17. object — to protest
  18. swing — to play on
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. object — a thing
  23. swing — music
  24. wax — for sculpting

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