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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 120 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: stand · face · stock · chest · mug · ball · field · charge

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. field — farmland
  2. charge — a price
  3. chest — a box
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. charge — in control
  10. stand — to bear
  11. chest — of your body
  12. charge — electricity
  13. field — for sport
  14. ball — a dance
  15. stock — shares
  16. mug — a cup
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mug — to rob
  19. field — a subject
  20. mug — a face
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stock — goods
  23. stand — on your feet
  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