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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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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 · ruler · chair · mark · deal · pop · band · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. band — a music group
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. face — to point toward
  16. deal — to handle
  17. band — a ring
  18. face — to confront
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. face — part of the head
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. chair — a leader
  24. ruler — a monarch

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