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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: stand · spell · stock · pitcher · season · bear · mark · bay

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. season — of the year
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stock — shares
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stock — goods
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spell — letters
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. season — in sport
  24. spell — a short time

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