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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: kick · rock · hand · bulb · trunk · stock · saw · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. hand — help
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stock — shares
  14. saw — the tool
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stock — goods
  17. bulb — for light
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. saw — the tool
  24. kick — a thrill

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