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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: fan · roll · season · last · racket · bound · chip · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. season — in sport
  3. bound — tied together
  4. roll — a cake
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. last — to go on
  14. chip — for betting
  15. suit — clothes
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. last — finally
  18. season — of the year
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bound — certain
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. last — final
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bound — obliged

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