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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 · stock · content · jam · bowl · bay · chip · toast

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. content — the amount
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. content — happy
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stock — shares
  20. toast — bread
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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