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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: kid · season · kick · snap · toast · deal · root · stock

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. root — of a plant
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. kid — child
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stock — shares
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. stock — goods
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. season — in sport
  19. toast — bread
  20. root — of a word
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. root — the cause
  24. season — of the year

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