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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · season · saw · stock · bay · fork · pitcher · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stock — shares
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. club — a group
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. season — of the year
  10. club — for dancing
  11. chest — a box
  12. season — in sport
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. club — for golf
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stock — goods
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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