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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 · key · jam · foot · fork · chair · court · chip

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fork — in a road
  4. chip — to eat
  5. key — for a lock
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. court — for sport
  8. foot — a measure
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. stock — goods
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chip — for betting
  13. court — of law
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. key — in music
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stock — shares
  24. court — of a king

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