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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: scale · chest · perch · stock · track · cue · object · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. object — a thing
  3. track — to keep track
  4. chest — of your body
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cue — a hint
  7. chest — a box
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chest — of your body
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. object — an aim
  12. scale — in music
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. object — to protest
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. track — a path
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. scale — size or range
  23. track — a song
  24. perch — for a bird

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