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

Word bank: suit · wax · rash · present · squash · bowl · capital · racket

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rash — hasty
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. present — a gift
  11. capital — money
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. suit — to fit
  14. capital — a city
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. present — the time now
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. squash — to crush
  23. present — there
  24. rash — a series

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