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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 120 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: firm · bat · kick · club · mine · suit · bass · stock

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. firm — a company
  5. suit — in cards
  6. kick — in football
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stock — goods
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bass — low music
  20. bat — the animal
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mine — for digging

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