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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 · mate · land · band · squash · bore · bulb · pitcher

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. land — a country
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bulb — for light
  6. suit — in cards
  7. land — ground
  8. band — a ring
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bulb — for light
  22. land — to come down
  23. band — a music group
  24. bore — to tire

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