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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 120 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: ruler · cell · stock · stand · bear · pitcher

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. stock — goods
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares

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