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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: suit · land · bass · hide · season · track · chest · fork

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. chest — of your body
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. track — a path
  4. chest — of your body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. season — in sport
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bass — low music
  12. land — a country
  13. bass — the fish
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. chest — a box
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fork — in a road
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. land — ground
  23. land — to come down
  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