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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 · squash · hand · march · mouse · race · stock · mark

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mark — a trace
  4. season — of the year
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. stock — shares
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. squash — to crush
  10. march — the month
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stock — goods
  20. race — humankind
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. race — a contest
  23. hand — in cards
  24. race — the arms race

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