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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: pit · bound · cue · arm · stock · firm · jam · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. kid — child
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bound — certain
  5. stock — shares
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stock — goods
  8. bound — obliged
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pit — in a race
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pit — a hole
  22. arm — part of the body
  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