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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · capital · stick · firm · perch · land · prune · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. firm — steady
  4. perch — the fish
  5. land — ground
  6. firm — decided
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. land — to come down
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. land — a country
  14. capital — money
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. prune — to trim
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — a city
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. firm — a company
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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