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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · stock · wound · club · spell · firm · stand · calf

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stock — shares
  3. spell — letters
  4. stock — goods
  5. club — a group
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. firm — decided
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. club — for golf
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stand — to bear
  24. calf — of the 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