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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 · stick · bat · scale · mug · bay · bound · ball

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. scale — size or range
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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