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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: object · fork · net · court · content · key · face · stem

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. object — an aim
  4. key — in music
  5. court — of a king
  6. object — a thing
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stem — to come from
  12. object — to protest
  13. key — for a lock
  14. content — the amount
  15. face — to point toward
  16. court — of law
  17. net — in sport
  18. court — for sport
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. content — happy
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. face — to confront

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