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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: bay · rock · stock · fork · nail · season · ball · field

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fork — in a road
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. field — for sport
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stock — shares
  8. field — a subject
  9. season — in sport
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. season — of the year
  15. rock — music
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. field — farmland
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ball — a round shape

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