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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: bore · ball · sharp · stock · mark · bank · nail · ground

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mark — a grade
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ball — a dance
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ground — a position
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ground — crushed
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bore — to drill
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bank — for money
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. ground — the earth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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