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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: stock · bear · season · lie · bowl · cue · content · fan

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. content — the amount
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stock — goods
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stock — shares
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. content — happy
  20. bear — the animal
  21. season — in sport
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cue — a signal

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