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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · spell · charge · season · date · field · suit · racket

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. season — of the year
  4. suit — in cards
  5. field — for sport
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. date — the fruit
  9. club — a group
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. field — farmland
  14. club — for dancing
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. charge — in control
  17. club — for golf
  18. suit — clothes
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. field — a subject
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. season — in sport
  24. spell — magic

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