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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: scale · rock · season · band · board · rule · pop · field

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. season — in sport
  3. rule — government
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. board — a committee
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. board — to get on
  9. field — farmland
  10. rule — a law
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rock — a stone
  14. scale — size or range
  15. band — a music group
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. rock — music
  21. season — of the year
  22. band — a ring
  23. pop — soda
  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