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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · bound · rule · net · leaves · scale · stock · ball

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. rule — government
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stock — shares
  4. rule — a law
  5. bound — tied together
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. stock — goods
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bound — obliged
  15. net — in sport
  16. scale — size or range
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bound — certain
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. scale — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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