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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: bank · pitcher · last · degree · stock · ball · lie · sharp

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stock — goods
  4. bank — for money
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stock — shares
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. sharp — clever
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. last — to go on
  13. bank — of a river
  14. degree — an amount
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bank — for money
  20. last — final
  21. ball — a great time
  22. last — finally
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pitcher — a jug

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