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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: fall · stock · pitcher · club · content · mouse · spell · pop

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. club — a group
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. content — the amount
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. club — for golf
  8. spell — magic
  9. club — for dancing
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pop — music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stock — shares
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fall — the season
  21. spell — letters
  22. content — happy
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mouse — the animal

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