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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: hide · stock · mouse · kick · craft · swing · last · pound

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. craft — a skill
  7. swing — music
  8. pound — a weight
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stock — goods
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. last — final
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. swing — to play on
  16. craft — boats
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. stock — shares
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kick — in football
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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