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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: face · stand · cabinet · swing · stock · spell · racket · ground

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. ground — crushed
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spell — magic
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spell — a short time
  10. face — to confront
  11. swing — music
  12. stock — goods
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. swing — to play on
  18. spell — letters
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. face — part of the head
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stock — shares
  24. face — to point toward

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