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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
468
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: bass · pit · season · capital · squash · charge · root · swing

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pit — in a race
  4. squash — to crush
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bass — the fish
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. root — the cause
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. season — of the year
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. capital — money
  17. root — of a word
  18. pit — a hole
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. capital — a city
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bass — low music
  23. swing — music
  24. season — 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