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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: squash · season · band · craft · cold · fine · stock · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. squash — the sport
  3. season — in sport
  4. craft — a skill
  5. season — of the year
  6. band — a ring
  7. stock — shares
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fine — all right
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fine — high quality
  15. craft — boats
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cold — not warm
  19. stock — goods
  20. squash — to crush
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. band — a music group
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cold — an illness

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