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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 · hand · stock · mug · pit · swing · mouse · wind

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wind — moving air
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hand — help
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. swing — music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mug — to rob
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stock — goods
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. kick — in football
  20. mug — a face
  21. stock — shares
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kick — with a leg

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