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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: scale · root · stick · bay · squash · ball · capital · toast

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. capital — a city
  5. scale — size or range
  6. root — of a word
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. root — the cause
  12. squash — to crush
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. capital — money
  15. root — of a plant
  16. scale — in music
  17. ball — a dance
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. ball — a great time

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