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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 120 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
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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: rash · land · ball · cue · key · stock · kick · tube

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cue — a hint
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. tube — a container
  11. land — a country
  12. key — the most important part
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. ball — a great time
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. kick — in football
  19. cue — a signal
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stock — shares
  22. cue — for pool
  23. key — in music
  24. ball — a dance

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