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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: dip · trunk · march · pass · capital · content · mark · squash

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mark — a trace
  6. march — the month
  7. mark — a grade
  8. content — the amount
  9. dip — to sink
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. march — music
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. squash — the sport
  16. content — happy
  17. squash — to crush
  18. capital — money
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. capital — a city
  21. march — the month
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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