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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stock — goods
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rest — a break
  8. stock — shares
  9. band — a ring
  10. fall — to drop
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. rest — what's left
  17. band — a music group
  18. fall — the season
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rest — what's left
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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