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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
468
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: season · squash · racket · wind · can · suit · hand · key

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. can — to be able to
  3. suit — to fit
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. season — in sport
  7. suit — in cards
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. can — a tin
  10. suit — clothes
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. season — of the year
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wind — moving air
  16. key — in music
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wind — moving air
  20. can — a tin
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. key — for a lock
  24. racket — a loud noise

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