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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: squash · saw · roll · band · season · pitch · root · craft

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. season — in sport
  4. band — a music group
  5. craft — boats
  6. roll — a cake
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. root — of a word
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. season — of the year
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pitch — completely
  19. root — the cause
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. craft — a skill
  24. band — a ring

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