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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 120 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 · saw · foot · stock · band · can · spring · wake

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. spring — the season
  4. band — a ring
  5. spring — of water
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stock — goods
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. foot — a measure
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. band — a music group
  18. saw — the tool
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stock — shares
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. can — a tin
  24. wake — before a funeral

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