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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: bear · stock · field · plane · jam · saw · last · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. last — finally
  7. saw — the tool
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. last — to go on
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. field — a subject
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. field — for sport
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. field — farmland
  21. bear — the animal
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. last — 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