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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: rule · net · scale · bass · suit · row · bear · last

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. suit — in cards
  3. last — finally
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bass — the fish
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. scale — in music
  17. net — after costs
  18. rule — government
  19. bass — low music
  20. last — to go on
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. last — final

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