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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: pound · stock · foot · nail · bank · season · mark · patient

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. season — in sport
  3. bank — of a river
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stock — shares
  10. bank — for money
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bank — for money
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. season — of the year
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. foot — a measure
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. foot — part of the body

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