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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 120 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: squash · net · suit · field · pit · fine · drill · ball

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. fine — all right
  3. field — for sport
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. ball — a great time
  6. squash — to crush
  7. drill — army training
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pit — a hole
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pit — in a race
  12. field — farmland
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. suit — to fit
  16. squash — the sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. net — in sport
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. ball — a dance
  24. fine — high quality

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