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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 116 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: land · row · mark · rock · scale · staff · track · face

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. track — a song
  5. staff — employees
  6. land — ground
  7. face — part of the head
  8. staff — a stick
  9. face — to confront
  10. land — to come down
  11. track — to keep track
  12. scale — in music
  13. row — to paddle
  14. staff — employees
  15. face — to point toward
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rock — music
  18. mark — a grade
  19. land — a country
  20. track — a path
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rock — a stone
  24. row — a line

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