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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. net — after costs
  4. rash — a series
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rule — government
  11. net — for catching
  12. mark — a trace
  13. roll — a cake
  14. net — in sport
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. scale — in music
  18. bass — low music
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bass — the fish
  24. scale — size or range

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