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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stock — shares
  9. date — the fruit
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. club — a group
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. club — for golf
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. stock — goods
  24. firm — steady

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