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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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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: last · mark · fine · leaves · stock · kick · content · scale

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. content — the amount
  4. kick — in football
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mark — a grade
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. last — finally
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stock — goods
  13. content — happy
  14. mark — a trace
  15. scale — in music
  16. last — to go on
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fine — all right
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. last — final
  24. stock — shares

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