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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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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 · kick · suit · club · file · wake · pit · swing

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. date — the fruit
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. suit — in cards
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. file — a line of people
  9. club — for golf
  10. wake — a trail
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. club — a group
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pit — a hole
  16. swing — in golf
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. kick — in football
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. swing — music
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pit — in a race
  24. club — for dancing

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