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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: rash · stock · pop · pit · band · wake · season · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pop — music
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. season — of the year
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. firm — decided
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rash — a series
  11. season — in sport
  12. pit — a hole
  13. stock — shares
  14. band — a music group
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wake — a trail
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pop — soda
  19. stock — goods
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. band — a ring
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pop — to visit
  24. firm — steady

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