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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
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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: squash · cold · suit · season · fan · mouse · bound · racket

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cold — not warm
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cold — an illness
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. squash — the sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. season — in sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. racket — for tennis

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