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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 116 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: cabinet · bound · stock · mate · kid · firm · pit · kick

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. firm — decided
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stock — shares
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bound — tied together
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. firm — a company
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mate — a partner
  13. kid — child
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stock — goods
  16. bound — certain
  17. kick — in football
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. firm — steady
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bound — obliged

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