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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: bank · kick · fork · pop · stock · staff · club · dip

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. club — a group
  4. kick — in football
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. staff — employees
  9. bank — for money
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stock — goods
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. club — for golf
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bank — for money
  20. stock — shares
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pop — soda
  23. staff — employees
  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