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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: current · arm · season · suit · date · ground · drill · racket

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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. suit — in cards
  4. season — of the year
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — of water
  10. drill — the tool
  11. season — in sport
  12. ground — the earth
  13. drill — a practice
  14. current — electric
  15. ground — a position
  16. suit — to fit
  17. drill — army training
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. current — happening now
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. ground — crushed

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