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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cap · stock · nail · foot · kid · bore · mark · march

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. foot — a measure
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. march — the month
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stock — shares
  11. cap — of ice
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. stock — goods
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cap — a lid
  20. march — music
  21. bore — to drill
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. march — the month

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