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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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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: bat · face · squash · bay · pass · root · saw · stock

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stock — goods
  6. root — the cause
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pass — a permit
  9. face — to confront
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. stock — shares
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. squash — the sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. root — of a word
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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