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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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468
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: stick · kick · swing · mine · stock · mate · net · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mate — to breed
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. stock — shares
  7. net — after costs
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stock — goods
  11. kick — in football
  12. swing — to play on
  13. net — for catching
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mine — for digging
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. drill — a practice
  21. net — in sport
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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