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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 120 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bear — the animal
  4. root — of a word
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. capital — a city
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. capital — money
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. root — the cause
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. squash — to crush

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