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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: wind · stock · mouse · nail · pitcher · kid · plane · track

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stock — shares
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stock — goods
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. track — a path
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. kid — child
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wind — moving air

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