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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: chair · can · foot · track · fall · stock · cue · sharp

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. foot — a measure
  3. track — a path
  4. fall — to drop
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stock — shares
  8. track — to keep track
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. fall — the season
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. track — a song
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cue — a hint
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cue — a signal
  22. can — to be able to
  23. foot — the bottom
  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