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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.

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: face · rest · pop · net · rule · key · scale · game

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rule — a law
  5. pop — music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. scale — in music
  8. pop — soda
  9. face — part of the head
  10. key — the most important part
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. key — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. net — for catching
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rule — government
  17. net — after costs
  18. game — a match
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rest — a break
  21. net — in sport
  22. face — to confront
  23. game — wild animals
  24. key — for a lock

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