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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ground · stick · scale · pop · track · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ground — a position
  4. track — a song
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pop — to visit
  7. track — a path
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. scale — in music
  10. face — to confront
  11. pop — soda
  12. ground — crushed
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pop — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. ground — the earth
  18. track — to keep track

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