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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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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: ground · capital · squash · plane · cabinet · bear · track · foot

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. ground — a position
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. track — a song
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. track — a path
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. squash — to crush
  19. track — to keep track
  20. foot — a measure
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bear — the animal
  24. capital — a city

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