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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: key · stock · nail · object · hand · bowl · fan · field

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. field — farmland
  9. object — an aim
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. field — for sport
  13. hand — in cards
  14. object — a thing
  15. hand — help
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. field — a subject
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. object — to protest
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. bowl — a football final

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