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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: root · season · land · nail · squash · band · object · wave

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. season — in sport
  3. land — a country
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. land — ground
  8. band — a ring
  9. squash — the sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. land — to come down
  12. root — of a word
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. object — to protest
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. root — of a plant
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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