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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: key · pound · stock · court · foot · rash · jam · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. court — for sport
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stock — shares
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rash — a series
  9. stock — goods
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pound — a weight
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. court — of a king
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. foot — a measure
  18. key — the most important part
  19. court — of law
  20. rash — hasty
  21. key — in music
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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