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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: stock · scale · rock · ball · nail · snap · swing · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. snap — to click
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stock — goods
  9. scale — size or range
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rock — music
  12. scale — in music
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stock — shares
  15. face — part of the head
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rock — a stone
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. nail — on a finger

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