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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 116 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. chip — to eat
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. net — in sport
  6. stock — shares
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cue — a hint
  11. kick — in football
  12. cue — for pool
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. board — to get on
  16. chip — for betting
  17. board — a committee
  18. bat — the animal
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. cue — a signal
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bat — in an idiom

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