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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: snap · spring · rock · stock · chest · cue · chip · bear

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. spring — a coil
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. spring — of water
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stock — shares
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. spring — the season
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stock — goods
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chest — of your body

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