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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · club · branch · rest · craft · stock · kick · last

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. kick — with a leg
  2. pop — soda
  3. club — a group
  4. craft — boats
  5. club — for golf
  6. last — finally
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rest — what's left
  9. last — final
  10. kick — in football
  11. rest — a break
  12. stock — goods
  13. pop — to visit
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. last — to go on
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stock — shares
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pop — music
  20. club — for dancing
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. rest — what's left
  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