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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: bark · march · deal · bear · object · stock · kick · mark

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. march — the month
  3. object — a thing
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. march — music
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. march — the month
  10. stock — goods
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. kick — in football
  18. object — to protest
  19. mark — a trace
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stock — shares
  22. object — an aim
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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