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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. scale — in music
  3. band — a ring
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fork — in a road
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pop — soda
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. face — to confront
  21. pop — to visit
  22. face — to point toward
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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