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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.

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: content · stock · bowl · dip · kid · plane · face · pitcher

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stock — goods
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. face — to point toward
  8. kid — to tease
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. content — the amount
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stock — shares
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. content — happy
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stock — a soup base

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