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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: cue · stock · chip · foot · snap · racket · rash · coach

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stock — goods
  7. cue — a signal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. snap — to click
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stock — shares
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cue — a hint
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rash — a series

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