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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · field · charge · key · stock · face · band · rest

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ball — a dance
  6. band — a music group
  7. field — for sport
  8. face — part of the head
  9. charge — in control
  10. band — a ring
  11. key — in music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. key — the most important part
  14. field — a subject
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stock — shares
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. field — farmland
  21. charge — a price
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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