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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 124 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: swing · stock · stick · mate · kick · rash · stand · saw

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rash — a series
  3. stock — shares
  4. mate — a friend
  5. swing — in golf
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mate — a partner
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. swing — to play on
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stock — goods
  21. rash — hasty
  22. kick — in football
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. swing — 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