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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: current · face · scale · mark · rash · rock · pop · band

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rash — a series
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rash — hasty
  5. current — happening now
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. face — to confront
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pop — music
  12. mark — a trace
  13. current — of water
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. band — a ring
  16. rock — music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mark — a grade
  20. band — a music group
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. current — electric
  24. scale — in music

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