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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: roll · stock · coach · pop · kick · safe · saw · march

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. stock — goods
  3. kick — in football
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pop — to visit
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. march — the month
  11. roll — a cake
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stock — shares
  14. pop — soda
  15. roll — a list
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pop — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. saw — the tool
  24. safe — out of danger

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