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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: row · season · cue · mark · stock · straw · saw · bank

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. row — a line
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. cue — for pool
  9. row — to paddle
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stock — goods
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stock — shares
  21. bank — for money
  22. cue — a hint
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cue — a signal

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