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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. spell — magic
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stock — goods
  8. spell — letters
  9. pitch — completely
  10. plane — a tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. net — in sport
  13. stock — shares
  14. staff — a stick
  15. face — to confront
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. face — part of the head
  18. spell — a short time
  19. net — after costs
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. staff — employees
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. net — for catching

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