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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.

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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 · rest · face · key · coach · root · vault · bowl

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. vault — a safe
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rest — a break
  9. face — to point toward
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stock — goods
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. key — in music
  14. root — the cause
  15. face — to confront
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rest — what's left
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bowl — to roll

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