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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: pound · stock · toast · nail · lie · file · stand · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. file — a tool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. pound — a weight
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stock — shares
  15. file — a document
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. toast — bread
  22. stock — goods
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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