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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: file · rash · firm · season · kid · suit · wind · pitch

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. season — in sport
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. wind — moving air
  6. firm — steady
  7. season — of the year
  8. suit — clothes
  9. firm — a company
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. file — a line of people
  17. suit — in cards
  18. kid — child
  19. file — a tool
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. suit — to fit
  24. file — a document

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