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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 · saw · pound · bowl · branch · mouse · bay · bass

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pound — a weight
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bass — the fish
  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