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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: stock · roll · sharp · rock · last · mark · mug · season

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. last — final
  4. mug — a face
  5. last — to go on
  6. stock — shares
  7. season — of the year
  8. mark — a grade
  9. sharp — clever
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. season — in sport
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mug — to rob
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. roll — a cake
  17. last — finally
  18. mug — a cup
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. roll — a list
  23. mark — a trace
  24. sharp — with an edge

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