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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stock — goods
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. scale — size or range
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pop — soda
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. band — a music group
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. band — a ring
  21. scale — in music
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. ruler — for measuring

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