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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: pop · saw · cap · root · toast · rule · wave · squash

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pop — to visit
  7. toast — bread
  8. root — of a plant
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rule — a law
  11. root — of a word
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pop — music
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pop — soda
  17. rule — government
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cap — of ice
  21. saw — the tool
  22. root — the cause
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. rule — to rule out

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