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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: perch · fan · stock · ball · face · staff · can · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. staff — employees
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. race — a contest
  11. face — to point toward
  12. staff — a stick
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. can — a tin
  16. face — to confront
  17. can — a tin
  18. staff — employees
  19. ball — a dance
  20. race — humankind
  21. can — to be able to
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. face — part of the head
  24. ball — a great time

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