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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: roll · march · mouse · can · club · pitcher · stock · bear

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bear — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. can — to be able to
  10. club — for golf
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stock — goods
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. march — the month
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stock — shares
  23. can — a tin
  24. club — a group

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