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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 116 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: deal · field · bay · nail · stock · board · lash · bass

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stock — goods
  4. board — to get on
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. field — farmland
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stock — shares
  14. field — for sport
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. board — a committee
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bass — low music
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bass — the instrument

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