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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: stock · saw · racket · pound · scale · fall · net · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. scale — size or range
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. net — for catching
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fall — the season
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rule — government
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. rule — a law
  16. saw — the tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. net — after costs
  19. fall — to drop
  20. net — in sport
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pound — a weight
  24. fall — to drop

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