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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 116 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. suit — clothes
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. suit — in cards
  5. drill — army training
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. capital — money
  9. march — the month
  10. drill — a practice
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. capital — a city
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bowl — to roll

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