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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: net · fan · saw · object · nail · stock · present · sharp

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. net — for catching
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. present — the time now
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. object — a thing
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stock — goods
  14. net — in sport
  15. object — an aim
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. net — after costs
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. object — to protest

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