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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: nail · bay · pitch · key · wave · stock · rash · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. season — in sport
  4. stock — goods
  5. key — in music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rash — a series
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stock — shares
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. season — of the year
  24. wave — with your hand

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