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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: mine · stock · pop · ball · arm · nail · wake · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stock — goods
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stock — shares
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pop — music
  17. wake — a trail
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. staff — a stick
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pop — soda
  22. ball — a dance
  23. staff — employees
  24. mine — for digging

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