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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.

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: mate · stock · pitcher · fan · key · mouse · foot · row

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mate — to breed
  5. row — a line
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stock — shares
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. foot — a measure
  21. key — in music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. stock — goods

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