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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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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: jam · stock · deal · chair · stick · cue · kid · key

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. chair — a leader
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. kid — to tease
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. kid — child
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. key — in music
  18. cue — a hint
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. jam — a tight spot

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