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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: staff · fork · field · stock · rush · arm · club · nail

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stock — shares
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. field — for sport
  7. club — for dancing
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stock — goods
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fork — in a road
  13. field — a subject
  14. club — for golf
  15. staff — employees
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. club — a group
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rush — hurry
  23. staff — employees
  24. field — farmland

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