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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: bass · bank · staff · race · bay · pop · nail · net

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. staff — employees
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. bank — for money
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bank — of a river
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bank — for money
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. staff — employees
  23. net — in sport
  24. bay — a horse colour

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