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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: suit · pass · straw · land · field · date · vault · wake

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pass — a permit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. field — a subject
  6. date — the fruit
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. suit — clothes
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. field — for sport
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. land — a country
  19. field — farmland
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. vault — a safe

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