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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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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: cabinet · content · pitcher · lean · bat · mate · arm · stock

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stock — goods
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stock — shares
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. content — the amount
  19. lean — thin
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. content — happy
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bat — in an idiom

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