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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: scale · mate · rule · spring · pop · pitch · lie · wound

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rule — government
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pitch — completely
  13. spring — the season
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. spring — of water
  18. pop — soda
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pop — to visit
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pop — music
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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