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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 120 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 · bay · lie · nail · stock · cap · ground · present

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ground — a position
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. present — there
  11. stock — goods
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bass — low music
  14. ground — the earth
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. present — a gift
  18. stock — shares
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. present — the time now
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bass — the fish

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