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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: lie · jam · suit · last · cue · key · bark · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. key — for a lock
  3. last — final
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. suit — in cards
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stock — shares
  9. bark — to shout
  10. suit — to fit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stock — goods
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. last — finally
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. suit — clothes
  20. last — to go on
  21. lie — to recline
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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