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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: stand · kick · bark · stock · spell · last · object · staff

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stock — shares
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. last — finally
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. last — final
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stand — to bear
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — magic
  16. last — to go on
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. spell — letters
  22. stock — goods
  23. object — an aim
  24. bark — to shout

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