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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: wake · mug · bay · mark · season · pitcher · stock · cell

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. season — in sport
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stock — shares
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stock — goods
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mug — a face
  24. mark — a grade

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