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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: mark · season · staff · plane · stock · fine · bank · pass

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. staff — a stick
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. season — of the year
  9. fine — all right
  10. stock — shares
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pass — a permit
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bank — for money
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. bank — for money
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mark — a trace
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. fine — high quality
  24. season — in sport

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