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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: nail · ground · tube · stock · patient · mark · temple · prune

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ground — a position
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stock — shares
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. tube — a container
  14. mark — a grade
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mark — a trace
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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