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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · kick · stick · roll · can · key · ball · trunk

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ball — a great time
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. roll — a cake
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. roll — a list
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. can — a tin
  11. kick — in football
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. object — a thing
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. can — a tin
  16. key — for a lock
  17. object — to protest
  18. key — in music
  19. ball — a dance
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. object — an aim
  23. key — the most important part
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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