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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 120 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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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: can · wake · squash · last · plane · club · ground · pass

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pass — a permit
  8. last — finally
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. club — for golf
  11. ground — crushed
  12. last — final
  13. wake — a trail
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. club — for dancing
  17. squash — to crush
  18. last — to go on
  19. plane — a tool
  20. can — a tin
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. club — a group
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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