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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 116 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: net · bowl · bear · cabinet · ground · firm · spell · face

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. ground — the earth
  6. spell — letters
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. firm — steady
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spell — magic
  13. ground — a position
  14. bear — the animal
  15. firm — a company
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. firm — decided
  22. spell — a short time
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bowl — to roll

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