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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 · leaves · cap · root · ball · staff · land · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. staff — employees
  3. land — ground
  4. cap — a lid
  5. squash — the sport
  6. land — a country
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cap — of ice
  9. root — of a plant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. land — to come down
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. cap — a hat
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. ball — a great time
  19. root — the cause
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. saw — the tool
  22. root — of a word
  23. ball — a dance
  24. leaves — lets stay

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