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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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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 · firm · charge · season · wind · squash · suit · tube

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. season — in sport
  3. suit — in cards
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. suit — clothes
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. charge — in control
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. tube — a container
  17. season — of the year
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. charge — a price
  20. squash — to crush
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. charge — electricity
  24. firm — decided

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