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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: wake · stick · kid · jam · mate · ground · foot · stock

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stock — shares
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stock — goods
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. foot — a measure
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ground — a position
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wake — a trail
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mate — a friend
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mate — a partner

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