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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: club · foot · dip · pitcher · safe · stock · bear · last

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. last — final
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. club — a group
  7. bear — the animal
  8. last — finally
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stock — shares
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stock — goods
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. last — to go on
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. club — for golf
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bear — the animal

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