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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: chest · stand · cue · jam · safe · rush · object · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stock — goods
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cue — a hint
  7. object — an aim
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cue — a signal
  11. chest — of your body
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stock — shares
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. stand — to bear
  18. object — to protest
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cue — for pool
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. object — a thing

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