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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 · plane · cue · chest · mark · track · squash · stock

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. cue — for pool
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mark — a trace
  8. ground — a position
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mark — a grade
  14. track — a song
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cue — a hint
  17. track — to keep track
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chest — of your body
  21. track — a path
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ground — crushed
  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