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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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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: face · racket · clip · fork · ball · rest · net · stand

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rest — a break
  3. net — after costs
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. face — to point toward
  8. clip — a video
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. ball — a dance
  15. net — for catching
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. net — in sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fork — to eat with

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