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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: stock · pound · nail · ball · mine · deal · staff · leaves

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ball — a great time
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pound — a weight
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stock — goods
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. staff — employees
  17. ball — a dance
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stock — shares
  22. staff — employees
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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