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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: sharp · stock · mug · nail · field · fan · bore · pop

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stock — goods
  5. mug — a face
  6. pop — music
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pop — to visit
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stock — shares
  13. bore — to drill
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pop — soda
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. field — a subject
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bore — gave birth

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