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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: pop · season · jam · mug · saw · mate · lean · stock

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pop — soda
  3. stock — shares
  4. lean — thin
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pop — music
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stock — goods
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mate — to breed
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mug — a face
  16. pop — to visit
  17. season — in sport
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. saw — the tool
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. saw — the tool
  24. season — of the year

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