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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · ball · season · stock · mug · fan · rush · stem

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stem — to come from
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. ball — a dance
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. season — in sport
  9. stock — shares
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mug — a cup
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mug — a face
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. season — of the year
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stock — goods
  24. can — a tin

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