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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 116 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: wake · root · can · scale · mark · pit · land · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pit — a hole
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mark — a trace
  10. can — a tin
  11. root — the cause
  12. pit — in a race
  13. root — of a plant
  14. scale — in music
  15. can — to be able to
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mark — a grade
  20. land — a country
  21. root — of a word
  22. can — a tin
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. scale — size or range

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