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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 · mouse · nail · fork · stock · clip · bowl · shower

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. clip — for paper
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — shares
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. clip — a video
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. deal — to handle
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. shower — rain
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. fork — to eat with

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