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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · stock · kick · bowl · craft · mine · stick · date

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. craft — a skill
  4. kick — in football
  5. clip — to cut
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. clip — a video
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. stock — shares
  18. craft — boats
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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