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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: chest · fork · nail · spring · deal · stock · cap · land

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stock — goods
  4. chest — a box
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. land — a country
  9. spring — the season
  10. land — to come down
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. land — ground
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stock — shares
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. spring — of water
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. deal — to handle

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