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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: hand · bear · season · game · bay · race · stock · suit

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. race — a contest
  3. stock — shares
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. hand — in cards
  8. game — wild animals
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. race — humankind
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. suit — clothes
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stock — goods
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. game — a match
  22. bear — the animal
  23. suit — to fit
  24. hand — help

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