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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · bark · stick · nail · fan · mark · stock · court

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — for sport
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. court — of a king
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. kick — in football
  12. bark — to shout
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. court — of law
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. mark — a trace
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — to pay attention

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