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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: last · face · ground · stock · cap · charge · fork · track

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. face — to confront
  3. stock — shares
  4. last — to go on
  5. face — part of the head
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cap — of ice
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stock — goods
  12. last — finally
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. charge — electricity
  16. track — a path
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. ground — a position
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. last — final

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