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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: content · club · stick · kick · pop · craft · firm · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pop — soda
  3. club — for dancing
  4. firm — steady
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mug — a face
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pop — to visit
  17. craft — a skill
  18. kick — in football
  19. club — for golf
  20. firm — a company
  21. club — a group
  22. craft — boats
  23. firm — decided
  24. pop — music

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