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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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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: bank · staff · can · kick · pitcher · content · stock · race

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. staff — employees
  9. race — humankind
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bank — for money
  15. stock — shares
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stock — goods
  19. bank — for money
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. can — a tin
  22. race — a contest
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. race — the arms race

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