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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. ball — a round shape
  3. land — a country
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ball — a dance
  6. date — the fruit
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. land — ground
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. spell — letters
  12. ball — a great time
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. spell — magic
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. spell — a short time
  18. suit — to fit
  19. land — to come down
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. face — part of the head
  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