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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: lie · bay · nail · stock · scale · race · fine · land

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. land — to come down
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — the arms race
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. scale — size or range
  8. race — humankind
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. land — ground
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. land — a country
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stock — shares
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lie — to recline
  23. race — a contest
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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