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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: lean · face · chair · cue · track · stock · season · fan

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stock — goods
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cue — for pool
  8. lean — thin
  9. stock — shares
  10. track — to keep track
  11. season — of the year
  12. track — a path
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. face — to point toward
  18. season — in sport
  19. cue — a hint
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. track — a song
  22. lean — to bend
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stock — a soup base

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