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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 120 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: shower · foot · leaves · net · staff · stock · land · nail

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. land — to come down
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. land — ground
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. stock — goods
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. land — a country
  13. foot — a measure
  14. stock — shares
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. staff — employees
  19. net — in sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. shower — to wash
  22. net — after costs
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. net — for catching

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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