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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 · perch · pop · season · ball · stock · tear · suit

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. face — to point toward
  3. tear — from crying
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. suit — clothes
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ball — a great time
  9. tear — to rip
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pop — soda
  13. tear — from crying
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stock — shares
  16. suit — to fit
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ball — a dance
  20. face — to confront
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. stock — goods
  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