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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: rule · lie · pitch · leaves · hand · scale · rash · net

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. rash — a series
  2. net — in sport
  3. scale — in music
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rule — government
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. net — after costs
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. net — for catching
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hand — help
  20. pitch — completely
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rule — a law
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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