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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: fork · mine · stock · pit · face · ball · bound · squash

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stock — goods
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. face — to point toward
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pit — a hole
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. bound — certain
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pit — in a race
  23. face — to confront
  24. fork — a garden tool

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