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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · squash · land · bowl · can · mark · stem · key

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. can — a tin
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. land — a country
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rash — a series
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. can — a tin
  18. land — to come down
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mark — a trace
  23. key — in music
  24. mark — a grade

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