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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 120 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: craft · current · last · mate · bound · suit · season · object

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bound — obliged
  3. last — to go on
  4. suit — in cards
  5. object — to protest
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. current — of water
  8. craft — boats
  9. current — happening now
  10. last — final
  11. object — an aim
  12. craft — a skill
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. last — finally
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mate — to breed
  19. current — electric
  20. bound — certain
  21. season — in sport
  22. suit — clothes
  23. season — of the year
  24. object — a thing

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