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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: net · stock · pitcher · mine · cue · arm · deal · key

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stock — goods
  9. key — in music
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stock — shares
  23. net — in sport
  24. key — the most important part

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