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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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468
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: bear · stock · jam · season · bowl · rest · swing · present

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stock — shares
  6. swing — to play on
  7. present — a gift
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. swing — music
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. present — there
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. present — the time now
  18. rest — a break
  19. season — in sport
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. season — of the year
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bear — to put up with

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