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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 120 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: deal · bark · present · stock · key · nail · race · cabinet

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. race — the arms race
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. race — humankind
  13. present — there
  14. stock — goods
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stock — shares
  21. key — in music
  22. bark — to shout
  23. race — a contest
  24. stock — a soup base

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