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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: stock · fork · staff · content · safe · kick · land · dip

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stock — goods
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. content — the amount
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. staff — employees
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stock — shares
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. staff — employees
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fork — in a road
  19. land — ground
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. content — happy
  24. kick — in football

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