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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: mark · pop · club · stock · nail · snap · calf · kick

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stock — goods
  4. pop — soda
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mark — a grade
  7. club — for golf
  8. snap — to click
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pop — music
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stock — shares
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. club — a group
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mark — a trace
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kick — in football
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. club — for dancing
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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