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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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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: snap · rest · season · stock · staff · pop · object · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rest — a break
  3. mark — a grade
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. object — a thing
  6. pop — to visit
  7. season — of the year
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stock — goods
  13. object — an aim
  14. pop — music
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. season — in sport
  17. object — to protest
  18. snap — to click
  19. rest — what's left
  20. staff — employees
  21. stock — shares
  22. pop — soda
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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