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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 · suit · mate · current · fan · staff · wound · racket

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mate — a friend
  3. staff — a stick
  4. land — ground
  5. wound — an injury
  6. current — of water
  7. mate — to breed
  8. suit — to fit
  9. land — to come down
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. current — electric
  15. staff — employees
  16. suit — in cards
  17. land — a country
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. current — happening now
  24. staff — employees

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