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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: ball · face · foot · cabinet · season · court · stock · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stock — goods
  3. season — in sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ball — a dance
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. field — a subject
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ball — a great time
  11. face — part of the head
  12. field — farmland
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. court — of a king
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. court — of law
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. court — for sport
  23. stock — shares
  24. season — of the year

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