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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
468
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: date · bowl · cap · stock · nail · kick · pass · track

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. date — the fruit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. pass — a permit
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stock — goods
  19. kick — in football
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stock — shares
  23. cap — of ice
  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