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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: bay · stock · tear · date · racket · rash · perch · nail

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. date — the fruit
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rash — hasty
  10. tear — from crying
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rash — a series
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stock — goods
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stock — shares
  23. perch — the fish
  24. stock — a soup base

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