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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chest · wound · capital · stick · foot · stock · fan · nail

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stock — shares
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. foot — a measure
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chest — a box
  23. stock — goods
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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