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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: stock · stick · bear · key · pitch · pitcher · chest · face

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bear — the animal
  3. face — to confront
  4. key — in music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stock — goods
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. key — the most important part
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitch — completely

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