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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: mate · sharp · can · suit · season · wave · hand · pitcher

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. sharp — clever
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. can — a tin
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. mate — a partner
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. can — a tin
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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