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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: kick · mate · bowl · band · last · fan · suit · stock

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. stock — goods
  4. last — final
  5. mate — a partner
  6. suit — in cards
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kick — in football
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. last — to go on
  17. stock — shares
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. last — finally
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mate — a friend
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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