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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 116 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: land · cue · suit · mark · season · drill · firm · hide

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. suit — to fit
  3. season — of the year
  4. drill — a practice
  5. firm — steady
  6. land — ground
  7. drill — army training
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. firm — decided
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mark — a grade
  13. suit — clothes
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. season — in sport
  22. firm — a company
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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