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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 · stick · bear · wave · foot · plane · straw · stock

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stock — goods
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bear — the animal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. foot — a measure
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. foot — the bottom

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