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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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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: snap · wound · club · stock · kick · deal · stand · craft

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. stand — to bear
  3. craft — boats
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. kick — in football
  10. stock — goods
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. club — a group
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. club — for golf
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stock — shares
  18. club — for dancing
  19. snap — to click
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. deal — a big deal

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