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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: court · kick · stock · calf · stick · content · trunk · can

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. content — happy
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. court — for sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. content — the amount
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stock — shares
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kick — in football
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. stock — goods
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. can — a tin
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. court — of law

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