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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: can · suit · fine · ground · wind · season · pop · wave

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. can — a tin
  5. season — in sport
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fine — all right
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pop — soda
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. ground — a position
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pop — to visit
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pop — music
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. can — a tin
  24. ground — the earth

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