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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.

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: row · nail · band · content · key · mark · arm · stock

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. row — a line
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. stock — goods
  7. band — a music group
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. content — happy
  10. stock — shares
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. content — the amount
  15. band — a ring
  16. key — for a lock
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. row — to paddle
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. nail — for a hammer

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