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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
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: object · track · face · net · pitcher · stock · cap · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. track — a song
  3. cap — a lid
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stock — goods
  7. object — an aim
  8. cap — a hat
  9. face — to confront
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. track — to keep track
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stock — shares
  17. net — in sport
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. object — to protest
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. track — a path
  23. face — to point toward
  24. object — a thing

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