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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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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 · cell · rock · firm · stick

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. stock — shares
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kick — in football
  11. stock — goods
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rock — to move gently

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