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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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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: present · snap · saw · patient · club · kid · stock · kick

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stock — shares
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kid — child
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stock — goods
  9. club — for dancing
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. kid — to tease
  12. present — the time now
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. club — a group
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. snap — to click
  17. club — for golf
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. kick — in football
  21. present — there
  22. saw — the tool
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. present — a gift

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