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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: squash · bass · board · content · kid · season · mate · suit

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. suit — in cards
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. suit — clothes
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bass — low music
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. kid — child
  12. bass — the fish
  13. content — the amount
  14. kid — to tease
  15. content — happy
  16. squash — to crush
  17. season — of the year
  18. mate — a partner
  19. season — in sport
  20. suit — to fit
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. mate — to breed
  24. board — to get on

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