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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 · hide · stock · bark · can · wake · net · land

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stock — goods
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. land — to come down
  5. bark — to shout
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stock — shares
  8. can — a tin
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. net — for catching
  16. can — to be able to
  17. net — after costs
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. land — ground
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. net — in sport
  23. land — a country
  24. nail — for a hammer

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