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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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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: row · bay · track · bass · stock · mine · arm · drill

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. drill — army training
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. track — a path
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bass — the fish
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stock — shares
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stock — goods
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. track — a song
  23. bass — low music
  24. mine — for digging

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