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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rock — music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. band — a music group
  14. stock — goods
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. net — after costs
  20. face — to confront
  21. stock — shares
  22. rock — a stone
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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