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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.

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: temple · stock · pitcher · pitch · sharp · key · bear · cold

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stock — goods
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stock — shares
  7. sharp — clever
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pitch — completely
  14. key — in music
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cold — not warm
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bear — the animal
  24. temple — side of the head

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