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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.

Make a worksheet

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: sharp · plane · calf · pitcher · nail · stock · fan · root

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stock — goods
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stock — shares
  14. root — the cause
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. root — of a word
  24. sharp — with an edge

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