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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: squash · foot · suit · racket · date · mine · tube · land

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. foot — a measure
  4. land — to come down
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. land — a country
  13. mine — for digging
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. suit — in cards
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. tube — a container
  18. land — ground
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. tube — the underground
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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