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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 · stick · bore · nail · suit · toast · band · land

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. toast — bread
  7. bore — to drill
  8. suit — to fit
  9. land — to come down
  10. stock — shares
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. suit — in cards
  13. land — ground
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. land — a country
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. band — a music group
  20. suit — clothes
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. band — a ring
  23. stock — goods
  24. nail — on a finger

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