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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 · stem · tube · spell · nail · season · club · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. season — in sport
  3. stem — to come from
  4. tube — a container
  5. season — of the year
  6. spell — magic
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mark — a grade
  9. suit — in cards
  10. tube — the underground
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mark — a trace
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. suit — clothes

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