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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: bark · pass · suit · season · jam · date · cue · wind

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. season — in sport
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bark — to shout
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wind — moving air
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pass — a permit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cue — a signal
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. date — the fruit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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