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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 · rush · plane · fan · club · nail · march · ground

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. ground — a position
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. ground — the earth
  10. march — the month
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stock — goods
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. plane — a tool
  22. march — the month
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ground — crushed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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