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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: jam · nail · rock · chest · fine · club · hand · stem

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rock — music
  4. fine — all right
  5. chest — a box
  6. rock — a stone
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hand — in cards
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stem — to come from
  11. club — for dancing
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fine — high quality
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. hand — help
  18. chest — of your body
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stem — a stem cell

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