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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: bear · ball · squash · pop · staff · saw · stock · pitcher

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. stock — goods
  3. ball — a dance
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. ball — a great time
  7. saw — the tool
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pop — music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bear — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. staff — employees
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stock — shares

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