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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: net · stock · content · kick · firm · mouse · mate · fork

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mate — a partner
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stock — shares
  7. content — the amount
  8. net — for catching
  9. kick — in football
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mate — a friend
  12. firm — decided
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — goods
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. firm — steady
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. net — after costs
  21. content — happy
  22. mate — to breed
  23. firm — a company
  24. net — in sport

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