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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: current · ball · face · fall · date · stock · mark · rock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. face — to confront
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stock — shares
  6. rock — music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ball — a dance
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. date — the fruit
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fall — the season
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. current — of water
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fall — to drop

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