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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 · date · deal · stock · bear · cabinet · current · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. current — electric
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bat — the animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. face — to confront
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. current — happening now
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — of water
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. date — the fruit
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stock — shares

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