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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.

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: stock · kick · cue · pitch · net · safe · ball · court

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cue — a signal
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. cue — a hint
  6. court — for sport
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cue — for pool
  9. court — of a king
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. court — of law
  17. stock — goods
  18. net — for catching
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. net — in sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pitch — completely

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