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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: face · ball · fork · deal · net · lean · bank · racket

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. face — to confront
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ball — a great time
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bank — for money
  13. net — in sport
  14. bank — for money
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. deal — to handle
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bank — of a river
  24. net — for catching

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