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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: rush · season · suit · squash · last · bore · racket · track

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bore — to drill
  4. season — of the year
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. last — finally
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. suit — clothes
  15. last — final
  16. squash — to crush
  17. suit — to fit
  18. last — to go on
  19. bore — to tire
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. suit — in cards
  22. squash — the sport
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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