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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: season · stock · ball · net · bat · bank · nail · face

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. net — for catching
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. net — in sport
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bank — of a river
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. face — to point toward
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bank — for money
  18. stock — shares
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. season — in sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. net — after costs
  24. bat — for baseball

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