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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 120 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
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: safe · stock · kick · march · cabinet · bark · stick · can

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. march — music
  4. stock — shares
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kick — in football
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. march — the month
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. march — the month
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. can — a tin
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. can — a tin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bark — to shout
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stock — a soup base

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