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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: suit · kick · bowl · net · mate · current · squash · track

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. current — of water
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. squash — to crush
  6. suit — to fit
  7. track — a path
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. squash — the sport
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. current — happening now
  17. track — a song
  18. suit — in cards
  19. net — after costs
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. suit — clothes
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. current — electric

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