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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: rush · rest · face · firm · ball · court · stock · present

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stock — shares
  3. court — of law
  4. firm — a company
  5. stock — goods
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rush — hurry
  8. court — of a king
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. court — for sport
  11. present — the time now
  12. rest — what's left
  13. present — a gift
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. rest — a break
  18. face — part of the head
  19. ball — a dance
  20. present — there
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rest — what's left
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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