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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: date · bound · suit · last · squash · fork · trunk · pop

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. date — the fruit
  3. suit — to fit
  4. last — final
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fork — in a road
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. last — to go on
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bound — tied together
  13. suit — in cards
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. last — finally
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pop — soda
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bound — certain
  21. pop — to visit
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pop — music
  24. date — on the calendar

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