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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: foot · scale · pop · face · rule · clip · coach · rock

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pop — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rule — government
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pop — soda
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rule — a law
  13. scale — in music
  14. rock — music
  15. clip — to cut
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rock — a stone
  19. face — to confront
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — for paper
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rule — to rule out

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