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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: hand · date · nail · suit · key · stock · tube · ruler

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stock — goods
  10. date — the fruit
  11. tube — the underground
  12. key — in music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. suit — clothes
  15. key — the most important part
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stock — shares
  21. tube — a container
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. hand — help
  24. ruler — a monarch

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