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

Word bank: chip · kick · mouse · straw · stick · snap · court · stock

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. court — of law
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. kick — in football
  6. snap — to click
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stock — goods
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. court — of a king
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. court — for sport
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stock — shares
  23. chip — in a computer
  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