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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.

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: mine · stock · rock · pitcher · court · bay · kid · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. court — of law
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. court — for sport
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bear — the animal
  13. court — of a king
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rock — music
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mine — for digging
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. stock — goods
  24. rock — to move gently

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