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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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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: bank · sharp · nail · saw · land · mark · stock · band

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. saw — the tool
  4. band — a music group
  5. sharp — clever
  6. land — ground
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bank — for money
  10. band — a ring
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — goods
  14. mark — a grade
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bank — for money
  19. land — a country
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stock — shares
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. land — to come down
  24. bank — of a river

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