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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 · bowl · bat · bay · race · hide · scale · chip

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. race — humankind
  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