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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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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: pop · bear · stand · ball · content · snap · stick · kick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stand — to bear
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. snap — to click
  7. pop — music
  8. kick — in football
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. content — happy
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pop — to visit
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ball — a dance
  20. content — the amount
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pop — soda
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. content — videos and posts

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