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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 120 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: cue · key · staff · bound · cabinet · chest · stock · calf

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. chest — a box
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. staff — employees
  12. chest — of your body
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cue — a signal
  21. key — in music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cue — for pool

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