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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
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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: pitcher · prune · mine · present · stock · bay · mate · bear

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. present — a gift
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bear — the animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. present — the time now
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stock — shares
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. present — there

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