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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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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: stock · bear · cell · content · wake · key · stick · suit

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. content — the amount
  5. wake — a trail
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. key — in music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stock — goods
  16. key — the most important part
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cell — a phone
  21. content — happy
  22. stock — shares
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bear — the animal

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