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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: date · ground · cabinet · suit · squash · swing · leaves · rock

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rock — music
  3. suit — to fit
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. swing — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. suit — clothes
  11. swing — to play on
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rock — a stone
  17. ground — crushed
  18. suit — in cards
  19. swing — in golf
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. squash — the vegetable

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