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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 116 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: stock · court · trunk · cue · deal · staff · rush · can

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. can — to be able to
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. staff — employees
  7. rush — hurry
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cue — for pool
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stock — goods
  12. court — for sport
  13. staff — employees
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. can — a tin
  17. court — of a king
  18. cue — a hint
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. can — a tin
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. court — of law
  23. cue — a signal
  24. staff — a stick

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