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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.

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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: key · content · face · dip · spell · present · stock · board

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. stock — goods
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. key — for a lock
  5. present — a gift
  6. spell — a short time
  7. content — happy
  8. spell — letters
  9. board — a committee
  10. key — the most important part
  11. board — to get on
  12. present — the time now
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. dip — to sink
  19. key — in music
  20. content — the amount
  21. face — to confront
  22. spell — magic
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. present — there

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