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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: mug · stock · foot · firm · spring · cue · land · jam

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. firm — a company
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stock — goods
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. spring — the season
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mug — a face
  11. firm — steady
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cue — a signal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. land — a country
  17. firm — decided
  18. spring — of water
  19. mug — a cup
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. spring — a coil
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. stock — shares

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