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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: cell · game · bay · temple · pitcher · stock · bear · toast

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. toast — bread
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stock — goods
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. game — a match

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