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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: rock · swing · staff · stock · season · suit · bulb · last

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rock — music
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. staff — a stick
  6. last — to go on
  7. season — in sport
  8. stock — goods
  9. rock — a stone
  10. last — final
  11. staff — employees
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. swing — music
  14. staff — employees
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. suit — to fit
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. last — finally
  21. bulb — for light
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bulb — for light
  24. season — of the year

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