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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: patient · stock · net · hide · lie · rule · fine · scale

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. scale — in music
  9. rule — government
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. net — in sport
  18. rule — a law
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. net — after costs
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. net — for catching
  24. fine — a penalty

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