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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: stand · firm · foot · rush · season · pass · stock · row

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. row — a line
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. row — to paddle
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stock — goods
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. firm — decided
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. foot — a measure
  18. firm — steady
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. firm — a company

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