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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 · snap · cue · staff · tube · field · spell · saw

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. snap — to click
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spell — magic
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. field — a subject
  13. spell — letters
  14. cue — a hint
  15. staff — employees
  16. tube — a container
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. spell — a short time
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stock — a soup base

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