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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: stock · bat · current · mine · foot · pitcher · toast · suit

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. current — electric
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. suit — to fit
  8. current — of water
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stock — shares
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — bread
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. suit — in cards
  17. current — happening now
  18. stock — goods
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — for 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