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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 116 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: stock · ball · firm · field · nail · lie · deal · ground

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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. nail — on a finger
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ground — the earth
  6. field — farmland
  7. firm — steady
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stock — goods
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. field — for sport
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. deal — to handle
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ground — a position
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. firm — a company
  20. lie — to recline
  21. field — a subject
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. firm — decided
  24. lie — an untruth

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