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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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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: trunk · kick · leaves · net · object · kid · cue · scale

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. cue — for pool
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. object — a thing
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cue — a signal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cue — a hint
  11. scale — in music
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. kid — to tease
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. scale — size or range
  23. net — after costs
  24. kick — in football

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