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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
468
Word bank
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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cell — in biology
  3. plane — a tool
  4. tube — the underground
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ground — crushed
  7. capital — money
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. tube — a container
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. capital — a city
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bass — the instrument

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