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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 116 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: spell · season · bowl · fall · stock · march · saw · cue

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cue — a signal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. spell — letters
  7. march — the month
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fall — the season
  10. march — music
  11. cue — a hint
  12. season — in sport
  13. fall — to drop
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. spell — magic
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stock — shares
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. fall — to drop
  22. march — the month
  23. season — of the year
  24. saw — the tool

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