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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: bowl · stock · date · stand · sharp · face · rush · pass

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stock — shares
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. date — the fruit
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rush — hurry
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. face — to confront
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stock — goods
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. sharp — clever
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. date — on the calendar

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