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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 112 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · stock · firm · ball · key · spell · racket · saw

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. face — to point toward
  4. spell — letters
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. ball — a great time
  7. firm — steady
  8. face — part of the head
  9. firm — decided
  10. key — in music
  11. ball — a dance
  12. saw — the tool
  13. firm — a company
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stock — goods
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stock — shares
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. saw — the tool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. key — for a lock
  23. spell — magic
  24. face — to confront

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