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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · pitcher · safe · stock · content · stick · mug · present

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. present — there
  4. stock — shares
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mug — a cup
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. present — a gift
  11. content — happy
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. present — the time now
  22. mug — a face
  23. stock — goods
  24. content — videos and posts

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