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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 116 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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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: cue · suit · bay · fall · chip · land · stock · fork

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cue — a hint
  5. land — to come down
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fall — the season
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cue — for pool
  11. land — a country
  12. cue — a signal
  13. suit — clothes
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stock — shares
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fall — to drop
  22. land — ground
  23. suit — in cards
  24. fall — to drop

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