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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: suit · land · field · hide · squash · deal · craft · mark

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. field — farmland
  3. land — ground
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. squash — to crush
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. land — a country
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. craft — a skill
  13. land — to come down
  14. squash — the sport
  15. field — for sport
  16. mark — a grade
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. field — a subject
  20. mark — a trace
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. craft — boats
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. suit — in cards

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