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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 116 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: game · hand · cue · stock · stand · chip · pit · fork

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cue — a hint
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pit — in a race
  5. game — a match
  6. stock — shares
  7. hand — help
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cue — a signal
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stand — to bear
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stock — goods

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