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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: bulb · deal · date · stock · club · cap · kick · key

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stock — goods
  4. date — the fruit
  5. kick — in football
  6. key — for a lock
  7. club — for golf
  8. stock — shares
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bulb — for light
  11. key — in music
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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