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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: sharp · pitcher · key · stock · lie · object · mine · kid

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. key — in music
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. kid — child
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mine — for digging
  9. object — a thing
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. kid — to tease
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. stock — shares
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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