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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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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: deal · chair · date · kid · jam · suit · wind · squash

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. deal — to handle
  17. suit — to fit
  18. kid — to tease
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. chair — a leader
  22. kid — child
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. squash — the vegetable

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