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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: stock · can · wake · racket · face · cell · cabinet · bowl

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. face — to confront
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. can — a tin
  12. face — part of the head
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cell — in biology
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stock — goods
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. can — to be able to

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