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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 · stock · row · scale · track · nail · lean · chip

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. track — a path
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. lean — to bend
  6. scale — in music
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stock — goods
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bass — the fish
  11. track — a song
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. lean — thin
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stock — shares
  19. bass — low music
  20. row — to paddle
  21. track — to keep track
  22. row — a line
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. scale — for weighing

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