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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: deal · band · face · rock · sharp · bass · key · date

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. date — the fruit
  5. key — in music
  6. band — a ring
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rock — music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. face — to confront
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bass — low music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rock — a stone
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. sharp — clever

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