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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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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stock — shares
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bat — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. face — to confront
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. last — final
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stock — goods
  21. last — to go on
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. last — finally
  24. pound — to hit hard

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