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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. bass — low music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pop — music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pop — soda
  19. rash — a series
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rash — hasty

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