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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.

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: lash · bulb · squash · stand · season · capital · ground · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. capital — money
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — to crush
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. root — of a plant
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. season — in sport
  21. ground — the earth
  22. root — the cause
  23. season — of the year
  24. ground — a position

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