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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: nail · stock · temple · key · cabinet · foot · deal · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. key — in music
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. key — the most important part
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. key — for a lock
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. season — in sport
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. foot — a measure
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. nail — on a finger

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