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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: game · stand · cabinet · root · chest · rock · stock · season

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chest — a box
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. root — the cause
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. season — of the year
  11. rock — music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stock — shares
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stand — to bear
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stock — goods
  20. root — of a word
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — in 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