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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: bound · trunk · scale · bay · stock · pitcher · deal · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bound — obliged
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stock — shares
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bound — certain
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. scale — in music
  22. stock — goods
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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