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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: suit · track · season · bound · dip · land · squash · trunk

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. squash — to crush
  4. land — ground
  5. suit — to fit
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. dip — to sink
  8. track — a path
  9. squash — the sport
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. track — a song
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bound — certain
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. season — in sport
  16. suit — clothes
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. season — of the year
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bound — tied together
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bound — obliged
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. trunk — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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