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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. can — a tin
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rash — hasty
  6. scale — in music
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rash — a series
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. scale — size or range
  12. land — a country
  13. squash — to crush
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. squash — the sport
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ground — a position
  19. plane — a tool
  20. can — a tin
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. land — ground
  24. root — of a word

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