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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 · squash · date · chair · pound · field · safe · degree

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. field — farmland
  4. pound — a weight
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. field — a subject
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. degree — temperature
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. degree — from a university
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. squash — to crush
  19. chair — a leader
  20. degree — an amount
  21. date — the fruit
  22. field — for sport
  23. suit — to fit
  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