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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 116 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: snap · rule · scale · can · net · content

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. content — happy
  6. can — a tin
  7. scale — size or range
  8. content — the amount
  9. rule — a law
  10. snap — to click
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. can — a tin
  14. net — for catching
  15. scale — in music
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. can — to be able to
  18. net — in sport

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