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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: rock · present · bowl · spell · stock · file · fork · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. file — a document
  3. rock — music
  4. spell — magic
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. present — the time now
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. present — a gift
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stock — goods
  15. rock — a stone
  16. present — there
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. file — a tool
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. spell — letters
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stock — shares

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