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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: wind · nail · mouse · stock · root · fine · club · can

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. wind — moving air
  4. club — a group
  5. can — a tin
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. club — for dancing
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. root — the cause
  13. fine — high quality
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. club — for golf

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