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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: bank · march · saw · root · toast · jam · squash · tube

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. root — of a word
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. saw — the tool
  6. march — music
  7. squash — to crush
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. squash — the sport
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. march — the month
  19. root — the cause
  20. toast — bread
  21. tube — a container
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. tube — the underground
  24. root — of a plant

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