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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.

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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: land · fine · rock · march · staff · kick · cue · kid

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. land — to come down
  3. staff — employees
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cue — a hint
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. land — a country
  9. rock — music
  10. cue — for pool
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cue — a signal
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. kid — child
  16. staff — employees
  17. kid — to tease
  18. march — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fine — high quality
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. land — ground

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