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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. land — ground
  4. mate — a partner
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. last — to go on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. mate — a friend
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. season — in sport
  14. toast — bread
  15. last — final
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. dip — to sink
  18. suit — clothes
  19. season — of the year
  20. last — finally
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mate — to breed
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. toast — a drink to someone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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