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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: pitcher · can · squash · stock · present · current · cabinet · tear

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stock — goods
  4. current — happening now
  5. can — a tin
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stock — shares
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. can — to be able to
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. can — a tin
  15. squash — to crush
  16. present — the time now
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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