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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.

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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: kick · stock · march · tear · object · craft

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. tear — to rip
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. tear — from crying
  7. kick — in football
  8. object — to protest
  9. march — music
  10. stock — goods
  11. craft — a skill
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. craft — boats
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing

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