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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: ground · lie · field · stock · current · key · chair · cue

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. lie — to recline
  6. ground — a position
  7. field — a subject
  8. key — in music
  9. current — of water
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. key — the most important part
  12. current — happening now
  13. ground — the earth
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stock — goods
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stock — shares
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. ground — crushed
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. current — electric
  24. key — for a lock

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