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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: band · bay · lean · stock · swing · pass · bass · nail

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bass — low music
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lean — thin
  8. swing — music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. swing — to play on
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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