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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: stand · net · face · ball · rest · leaves · sharp · stock

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. face — part of the head
  8. net — for catching
  9. face — to confront
  10. net — after costs
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stock — goods
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rest — a break
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stock — shares
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. face — to point toward
  22. ball — a dance
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. net — in sport

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