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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: stock · wake · chair · lean · band · season · ball · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. band — a music group
  5. chair — a leader
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. stock — shares
  12. suit — clothes
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. season — of the year
  17. stock — goods
  18. lean — thin
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wake — a trail
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. chair — to sit on
  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