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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: squash · object · lean · toast · cold · rock · pitch · root

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rock — a stone
  6. root — the cause
  7. object — a thing
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. root — of a word
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. object — to protest
  12. lean — to bend
  13. object — an aim
  14. squash — the sport
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. cold — not warm
  17. root — of a plant
  18. toast — bread
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cold — an illness
  22. lean — thin
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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