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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: land · suit · kick · staff · stock · chip · trunk · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stock — goods
  7. suit — clothes
  8. spring — of water
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. chip — for betting
  11. staff — employees
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. spring — the season
  14. chip — to eat
  15. land — to come down
  16. staff — a stick
  17. land — ground
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. land — a country
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stock — shares
  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