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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · swing · fine · bound · foot · snap · date · ground

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ground — the earth
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. swing — music
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. snap — to click
  11. fine — all right
  12. foot — a measure
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. suit — clothes
  15. swing — in golf
  16. date — the fruit
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bound — tied together
  19. ground — a position
  20. bound — certain
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bound — obliged
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. date — on the calendar

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