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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 · rush · can · pitcher · key · wave · stock · ground

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. key — the most important part
  4. can — a tin
  5. stock — shares
  6. rush — hurry
  7. ground — a position
  8. face — to confront
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. key — in music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. can — a tin
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stock — goods
  22. face — to point toward
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wave — of the sea

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