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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 120 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: track · temple · wave · land · ground · firm · pop · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. track — to keep track
  4. squash — the sport
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pop — music
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pop — to visit
  13. track — a song
  14. ground — the earth
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. firm — a company
  18. land — to come down
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. ground — a position
  22. pop — soda
  23. track — a path
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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