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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 · spell · squash · mate · bound · deal · hand · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. spell — letters
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bound — tied together
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bound — certain
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. spell — magic
  11. hand — help
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mate — a friend
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. suit — in cards
  19. deal — to handle
  20. hand — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bound — obliged
  23. squash — to crush
  24. spell — a short time

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