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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: staff · plane · stock · foot · sharp · pitcher · cue · snap

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cue — a hint
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. staff — a stick
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. staff — employees
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stock — shares
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cue — a signal
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. staff — employees
  19. snap — to click
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stock — goods
  23. foot — a measure
  24. plane — a tool

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