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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: stock · arm · ground · ball · nail · patient · temple · object

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ground — crushed
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ground — a position
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stock — goods
  10. ground — the earth
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stock — shares
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. object — a thing
  24. ball — a dance

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