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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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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stock — shares
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — low music
  12. kid — to tease
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. kid — child
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. nail — on a finger

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