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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: bowl · cue · mine · stock · bay · mark · bass · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bass — low music
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bass — the fish
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stock — goods
  12. mine — for digging
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. stock — shares
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mine — an explosive

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