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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: stock · rock · chip · track · wake · chair · prune · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stock — goods
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rock — a stone
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. chip — to eat
  9. stock — shares
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. sharp — clever
  22. track — a path
  23. rock — music
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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