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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: ball · wound · plane · ground · stock · fork · nail · temple

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fork — in a road
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ball — a great time
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ground — a position
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stock — goods
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wound — an injury
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ground — crushed

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