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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stock — goods
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. kick — in football
  8. ball — a great time
  9. toast — bread
  10. cue — a hint
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cue — a signal
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cue — for pool

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