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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. last — finally
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. key — in music
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cell — in biology
  14. last — final
  15. key — for a lock
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bear — the animal
  20. last — to go on
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stock — shares
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bear — the animal

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