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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 · stock · face · rush · last · firm · root · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. last — to go on
  3. stock — shares
  4. season — in sport
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. last — final
  8. season — of the year
  9. root — of a plant
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. last — finally
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. suit — to fit
  17. face — to point toward
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. firm — a company
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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