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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: last · lean · bear · court · kick · cue · stock · snap

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. last — finally
  7. kick — in football
  8. bear — the animal
  9. last — to go on
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. stock — shares
  15. lean — to bend
  16. court — for sport
  17. stock — goods
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. last — final
  22. lean — thin
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. stock — a soup base

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