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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: face · bear · ruler · stem · band · ground · ball · season

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. ground — the earth
  5. face — to point toward
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. band — a ring
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stem — to come from
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. face — part of the head
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ground — a position
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ball — a dance
  20. face — to confront
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. ball — a great time
  23. band — a music group
  24. bear — the animal

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