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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 · bank · drill · stock · pop · key · content · wax

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. pop — music
  2. drill — a practice
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stock — goods
  5. bank — of a river
  6. content — happy
  7. drill — the tool
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. kick — in football
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stock — shares
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. bank — for money
  17. drill — army training
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bank — for money
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. content — the amount
  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