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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · nail · game · spring · stock · degree · pitcher · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. spring — a coil
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. spring — of water
  8. game — a match
  9. spring — the season
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stock — shares
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stock — goods
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. degree — temperature

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