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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.

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: perch · pitcher · straw · deal · key · mate · stock · press

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. press — to push
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. press — a publisher
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. press — newspapers
  13. key — the most important part
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. stock — goods
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stock — shares
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mate — to breed

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