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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bound · cue · pitcher · tube · squash · spring · toast · ground

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bound — obliged
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bound — tied together
  11. squash — to crush
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. spring — of water
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spring — the season
  18. cue — for pool
  19. toast — bread
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bound — certain
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  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