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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 116 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: cabinet · stem · stock · key · nail · mouse · ground · tear

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. ground — the earth
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ground — a position
  9. stock — shares
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. key — in music
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stock — goods
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ground — crushed
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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