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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: wound · fork · spring · stock · hide · nail · fine · net

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. net — for catching
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stock — goods
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. stock — shares
  10. fine — high quality
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. net — in sport
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fine — all right
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. net — after costs
  24. hide — animal skin

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