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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: bank · bass · kick · stock · pop · stand · season · ball

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bank — for money
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bass — the fish
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stock — goods
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pop — soda
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bank — for money
  13. season — of the year
  14. pop — music
  15. kick — in football
  16. season — in sport
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. kick — with a 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