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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: lean · squash · fine · season · jam · suit · stem · club

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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. lean — thin
  4. fine — all right
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stem — to come from
  7. suit — in cards
  8. club — for dancing
  9. season — in sport
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. season — of the year
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. club — a group
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. suit — clothes
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. club — for golf
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fine — high quality
  24. squash — to crush

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