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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: kick · stock · scale · net · spell · board · face · ruler

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. spell — magic
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. net — after costs
  6. spell — a short time
  7. face — part of the head
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. kick — in football
  10. spell — letters
  11. stock — goods
  12. board — to get on
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. face — to confront
  18. stock — shares
  19. net — for catching
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. board — a committee
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. net — in sport

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