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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. ground — the earth
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mark — a trace
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bank — for money
  7. ground — a position
  8. bank — for money
  9. capital — money
  10. kid — to tease
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. ground — crushed
  15. suit — clothes
  16. kid — child
  17. suit — to fit
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bank — of a river
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. capital — a city
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wax — in the ear
  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