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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 120 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: band · spell · stock · season · racket · cue · rest · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stock — goods
  3. rest — a break
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cue — a hint
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. band — a music group
  11. stock — shares
  12. cue — a signal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rest — what's left
  15. band — a ring
  16. cue — for pool
  17. season — of the year
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. season — in sport
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spell — letters
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — for light

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