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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: squash · season · cue · can · stock · race · fine · pop

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pop — music
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. race — the arms race
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. season — in sport
  12. race — a contest
  13. pop — soda
  14. fine — high quality
  15. race — humankind
  16. fine — all right
  17. stock — goods
  18. can — a tin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stock — shares
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. squash — the sport

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