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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: ground · suit · capital · fork · scale · squash · pass · net

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. squash — the sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. suit — clothes
  10. capital — money
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. ground — a position
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. squash — to crush
  19. net — for catching
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. ground — crushed
  22. capital — a city
  23. suit — to fit
  24. net — in sport

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