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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. net — after costs
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. field — for sport
  10. net — in sport
  11. chair — a leader
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. season — of the year
  16. field — a subject
  17. net — for catching
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. season — in sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. suit — in cards

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