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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: bass · season · suit · mate · safe · prune · date · capital

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mate — a partner
  4. prune — to trim
  5. season — of the year
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mate — a friend
  9. capital — a city
  10. bass — low music
  11. date — the fruit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. capital — money
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bass — the fish
  22. prune — to trim
  23. season — in sport
  24. capital — a big letter

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