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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: season · content · stock · lie · date · can · wax · mark

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stock — shares
  3. season — of the year
  4. can — to be able to
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. can — a tin
  8. content — the amount
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wax — to grow
  15. content — happy
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lie — to recline
  19. can — a tin
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. date — the fruit
  22. stock — goods
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. content — videos and posts

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