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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: rush · can · toast · net · stock · field · dip · face

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. net — for catching
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. field — farmland
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. can — a tin
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. field — for sport
  11. net — in sport
  12. stock — goods
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rush — hurry
  15. can — to be able to
  16. face — to confront
  17. can — a tin
  18. face — part of the head
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stock — shares
  21. net — after costs
  22. toast — bread
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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