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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 120 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: mate · rule · fork · bowl · rash · net · scale · rock

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. net — after costs
  7. rash — a series
  8. rock — music
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. net — in sport
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rule — government
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mate — to breed
  16. scale — in music
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rule — a law
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. net — for catching
  24. rock — a stone

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