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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: kick · stock · firm · key · rule · date · ground · swing

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. firm — steady
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. stock — shares
  9. swing — in golf
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. firm — a company
  12. swing — to play on
  13. kick — in football
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rule — a law
  16. key — in music
  17. firm — decided
  18. ground — crushed
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. swing — music
  21. stock — goods
  22. rule — government
  23. ground — a position
  24. key — the most important part

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