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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: pitcher · trunk · squash · bound · leaves · stock · mate · can

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. can — to be able to
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. can — a tin
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stock — goods
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stock — shares
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bound — certain
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bound — tied together
  20. can — a tin
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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