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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · pitch · fork · leaves · field · face · key · stock

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. field — for sport
  6. land — ground
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. land — to come down
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. pitch — completely
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. land — a country
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. leaves — lets stay

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