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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 116 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stock — goods
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pop — music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. staff — employees
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. staff — a stick
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. staff — employees
  23. pound — a weight
  24. court — of a king

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