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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 · plane · pop · march · root · bay · roll · ruler

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. root — the cause
  4. roll — a list
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. march — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. plane — a tool
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. march — the month
  17. roll — a cake
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. root — of a word
  20. march — the month
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pop — 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