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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: pitcher · bat · root · arm · club · row · stock · can

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. can — a tin
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. club — for dancing
  11. root — the cause
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. club — a group
  15. root — of a plant
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. root — of a word
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. club — for golf
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stock — shares
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. can — a tin

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