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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stock · face · field · coach · toast · hide · land · court

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. field — for sport
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. court — of law
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. land — ground
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stock — goods
  13. court — of a king
  14. stock — shares
  15. field — a subject
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. field — farmland
  18. land — a country
  19. face — to confront
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. toast — bread
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. court — for 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