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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
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: ball · pitch · scale · snap · mark · net · lie · stand

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. scale — in music
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pitch — completely
  10. snap — to click
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stand — to bear
  15. net — for catching
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. net — in sport
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. net — after costs
  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