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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 116 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: mate · rest · pitcher · board · stock · key · bound · bass

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bound — tied together
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rest — a break
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rest — what's left
  13. board — to get on
  14. bound — certain
  15. stock — shares
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bass — the fish
  18. key — in music
  19. stock — goods
  20. key — for a lock
  21. board — a committee
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bass — low music
  24. rest — what's left

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