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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: season · stick · bat · last · pass · bark · pop · stock

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pop — music
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. last — to go on
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stock — goods
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. last — finally
  18. pop — soda
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. season — in sport
  21. last — final
  22. stock — shares
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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