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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: face · rock · stock · stand · season · snap · mate · track

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. snap — to click
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stand — to bear
  10. track — a song
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stock — goods
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mate — to breed
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stock — shares
  18. track — a path
  19. face — to confront
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. face — part of the head

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