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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · club · craft · stock · pitcher · mate · mug · bulb

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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. mate — a partner
  4. stock — goods
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mate — to breed
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. stock — shares
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lie — to recline
  13. club — for golf
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bulb — for light
  17. craft — boats
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. club — a group
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. craft — a skill
  23. club — for dancing
  24. stock — a soup base

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