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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: kick · pop · fall · stock · wake · pit · key · nail

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fall — to drop
  3. kick — in football
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. key — in music
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stock — goods
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pit — a hole
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pop — music
  16. fall — the season
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pit — in a race
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pop — soda
  21. stock — shares
  22. fall — to drop
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. kick — with a leg

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