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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: rest · stock · row · rule · cap · wake · season · present

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stock — goods
  3. row — a line
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wake — a trail
  9. present — there
  10. rest — a break
  11. row — to paddle
  12. stock — shares
  13. cap — a hat
  14. present — the time now
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. season — in sport
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. present — a gift
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rule — a law

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