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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · net · mate · lie · bass · rule · club · squash

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bass — low music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mate — a friend
  6. scale — in music
  7. net — after costs
  8. rule — government
  9. mate — to breed
  10. scale — size or range
  11. squash — the sport
  12. net — in sport
  13. club — for golf
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. squash — to crush
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. rule — a law
  23. net — for catching
  24. mate — a partner

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