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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: toast · nail · press · net · staff · mug · stock · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. staff — employees
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mug — a cup
  7. toast — bread
  8. mug — to rob
  9. stock — goods
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mug — a face
  12. net — for catching
  13. staff — a stick
  14. press — a publisher
  15. stock — shares
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. net — in sport
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. net — after costs
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. staff — employees

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