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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: stock · cue · ball · deal · leaves · file · foot · kick

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. file — a document
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stock — shares
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stock — goods
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cue — a signal
  13. foot — a measure
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. kick — in football
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. ball — a dance
  19. deal — to handle
  20. ball — a great time
  21. file — a line of people
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. file — a tool

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